SECTIONS 8701-8707 - California Statutes

FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL CODE

SECTION 8701-8707

8701. Any two or more districts organized or existing under this
part may be consolidated, whether or not the boundaries are
coterminous and whether or not the districts are located in the same
county.

8702. Proceedings for consolidation may be initiated by the filing
of a petition for consolidation with the board of each district to be
consolidated. Each petition shall be signed by the owners of 51
percent by area of the citrus land in the district. Upon the filing
of a petition, the board of directors shall adopt a resolution which
recites the fact of receipt and the willingness of the district to
consolidate, and shall then send copies of the petition and
resolution to the board of directors of each of the other districts.
The board shall send the original petition and a certified copy of
the resolution to the board of supervisors of the county in which is
located the largest area of citrus acreage of the proposed
consolidated district, and a copy of the petition and resolution to
the board of supervisors of each of the other counties in which is
located any part of the proposed consolidated district.

8703. Upon presentation and filing of the petitions of two or more
districts proposing consolidation, the board of supervisors of the
county in which is located the largest area of citrus acreage of the
proposed consolidated district shall fix a time and place for hearing
the petitions. Notice shall be given and the hearing conducted in
the same manner and with the same effect as prescribed for the
formation of a district pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with
Section 8451).

8704. If the board of supervisors determines that the consolidation
is feasible and for the best interests of the citrus growers of the
respective districts, it shall by resolution duly adopted declare the
districts consolidated into one district, giving the consolidated
district a name which name shall include the term "consolidated."
Certified copies of the resolution shall be filed with the Secretary
of State and, for record, with the county recorder of each county in
which is located any part of the consolidated district. Upon the
filing, the districts are consolidated into a single consolidated
district with all the rights, privileges, and powers of a district.
The consolidated district shall succeed to all the funds and other
property, and is subject to all the indebtedness, bonded and
otherwise, of the districts consolidated. Each district which is
included in the consolidated district shall continue in existence for
the purpose of representation on the board of the consolidated
district, and for the purpose of levying, assessing, and collecting
assessments for district purposes. The board of the consolidated
district is, however, the board of each district which is included in
the consolidated district.

8705. Upon the adoption of a resolution consolidating two or more
districts, the board of supervisors shall immediately appoint a board
of directors of at least five members, including at least one member
from each of the districts which are included in the consolidated
district. If any of the districts which are included in the
consolidated district includes more than 15,000 acres of citrus
acreage, the board of directors shall be increased to a number equal
to the number of districts which are included in the consolidated
district, plus one additional director for each 10,000 acres, or
major fraction of 10,000 acres, in any one district which is included
in the consolidated district.

8706. The board of a consolidated district has all the duties,
powers, purposes, responsibilities, and jurisdiction of the board of
any other district. The members of the board shall be appointed in
the same manner and serve for the same term as the directors of any
other district. If, however, the number of directors is increased to
more than five, as provided in Section 8705, the sixth member of the
first board shall serve for three years, the seventh for two years,
and all in excess of seven for one year each.

8707. Any district which has been included in a consolidated
district may withdraw from the consolidated district and be
reconstituted as a separate district by filing with the board of
directors of the consolidated district a petition for withdrawal
which is signed by the owners of not less than 51 percent by area of
citrus land in the district. The board of directors of the
consolidated district shall send the original petition to the board
of supervisors of the county in which the withdrawing district is
located, and a copy of the petition to the board of supervisors of
each of the other counties in which is located any part of the
consolidated district. Upon receipt of a petition for withdrawal, the
board of supervisors of the county in which the withdrawing district
is located shall fix a time and place for hearing the petition.
Notice shall be given and the hearing conducted in the same manner
and with the same effect as prescribed for the formation of a
district under Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 8451). Upon
withdrawal of a district, all moneys collected from the district for
the use of the consolidated district, and all property purchased with
these moneys, shall remain the property of the consolidated
district. All moneys collected from a district after it withdraws
from a consolidated district shall be held for the use of the
district.