Section 73-20-12 - Directors; election. - New Mexico Statutes

73-20-12. Directors; election.

A.     Within thirty days after a watershed district is created, the board of supervisors of the soil and water conservation district involved shall cause an election to be held for the election of a board of directors of the watershed district. The board shall consist of five members. The first board shall determine by lot from among its membership two members to serve terms of two years, two members to serve terms of three years and one member to serve a term of four years. Thereafter, as these initial terms expire, their replacements shall be elected for terms of four years. Vacancies occurring before the expiration of a term shall be filled by the remaining members of the board for the unexpired term. Two or more vacancies occurring simultaneously shall be filled by appointment by the board of supervisors. The board of directors shall, under the supervision of the board of supervisors, be the governing body of the watershed district.   

B.     If the territory embraced within a watershed district lies within more than one soil and water conservation district, each additional soil and water conservation district having a minority of the land involved in the watershed shall be entitled to elect three additional directors. These additional directors after their election shall determine by lot one of their number to serve a term of two years, one a term of three years and one a term of four years. Thereafter, their successors shall be elected for terms of four years. The representatives of each of these minority districts shall fill vacancies in the district's membership for the unexpired term.   

C.     The board of directors shall annually elect from its membership a chairman, secretary and treasurer. The treasurer shall execute an official bond for the faithful performance of the duties of his office to be approved by the board of directors. The bond shall be executed with at least three solvent personal sureties whose solvency shall exceed the amount of the bond, or by a surety company authorized to do business in this state, and shall be in an amount determined by the board of directors. If the treasurer is required to execute a surety company bond, the premium of the bond shall be paid by the board of directors.   

D.     The board of directors shall prepare and submit to the department of finance and administration such reports as it may require from among those required to be submitted by other political subdivisions.   

E.     Each person desiring to be a director of a watershed district shall file a nominating petition with the board of supervisors, signed by ten or more landowners within the watershed districts of the county involved, or, if less than fifty landowners are involved, a majority of such landowners. If the candidates nominated do not exceed the positions available, they shall be declared elected. No person shall be eligible to be a director of a watershed district who is not a landowner in the district in which he seeks election.