184.600. Zoo district--boundaries--petition to form--areas outside city may petition to join--elections--ballot content and form.

Zoo district--boundaries--petition to form--areas outside city maypetition to join--elections--ballot content and form.

184.600. 1. A metropolitan zoo district may be establishedin any city with a population of one hundred thousand or moreinhabitants located within a first class county which does notadjoin any other first class county, after voter approvalpursuant to this section. A zoo district shall consist of suchinstitutions and places for the collection and exhibition ofanimals and animal life, for the instruction and recreation ofthe people, for the promotion of zoology and kindred subjects,for the encouragement of zoological study and research and forthe increase of public interest in wild animals and in theprotection of wild animal life. The boundaries of any suchmetropolitan zoo district shall be the corporate boundaries ofthe city, any lands annexed into the city after the establishmentof the district and areas adjacent to the city which petition andvote to become part of the district pursuant to section 184.602.The question shall be submitted to the qualified voters of thecity at a local or state general, primary or special electionupon the petition of five percent of the qualified voters of thecity as determined on the basis of the number of votes cast inthe city for governor at the last election held prior to thefiling of the petition, except that such election shall not beheld prior to 1992. The election officials shall give legalnotice at least sixty days prior to such general or primaryelection or special election in at least one newspaper of generalcirculation within the city that such proposition shall besubmitted at the next general or primary election or specialelection held for submission of this proposition. A municipalityshall include in the ballot a provision for a tax to support thedistrict in an amount not to exceed ten cents per one hundreddollars assessed valuation of all taxable property within thedistrict.

2. Citizens living in a first class county in an areaadjacent to and within two miles of a city that has formed or hascalled an election to form a metropolitan zoo may petition thecounty commission where the city is located to become part of themetropolitan zoo district by filing with the county commission apetition containing a description of the area to be included inthe district and the signatures of five percent of the qualifiedvoters of the area as determined by the county clerk on the basisof the number of votes cast in the area for governor at the lastelection held prior to the filing of the petition. The questionshall be submitted to the qualified voters of the area at a localor state general, primary or special election upon thecertification by the county clerk that the petition contains thesignatures of the required number of qualified voters. Theelection officials shall give legal notice at least sixty daysprior to such general or primary election or special election inat least one newspaper of general circulation within the countythat such proposition shall be submitted at the next general orprimary election or special election held for submission of thisproposition. The commission shall include in the ballot asrequested in the petition a provision for a tax to support thedistrict at the rate of tax which residents of the city arerequired to pay to support the district.

3. If the election is held in the city such propositionshall be submitted to the voters in substantially the followingform at such election:

Shall there be established a Metropolitan Zoo Districtcomprising the City of .................. with a tax rate not toexceed ......... cents on each one hundred dollars of assessedvaluation of all taxable property within the district?

â ã FOR â ã AGAINST

4. If the election is held in an area outside the city suchproposition shall be submitted to the voters in substantially thefollowing form at such election:

Shall the area be part of a Metropolitan Zoo District withthe City of ................. with a tax rate not to exceed............ cents on each one hundred dollars of assessedvaluation of all taxable property within the area?

â ã FOR â ã AGAINST

5. In the event that a majority of the voters voting on suchproposition in the city at such election cast votes "FOR" theproposition, then the district shall be established and the taxrate shall be in full force and effect as of the first day of theyear following the year of the election. The results of theelection shall be certified by the election officials of the citynot less than thirty days after the day of election. In theevent the proposition fails to receive a majority of the votes"FOR" in the city, then such proposition shall not be resubmittedat any election held within one year of the date of the electionthe proposition was rejected.

6. In the event that a majority of the voters voting on suchproposition in an area outside the city at such election castvotes "FOR" the proposition, then the area shall be part of themetropolitan zoo district as of the first day of the yearfollowing the year of the election provided the voters in thecity have voted to form such a district. The results of theelection shall be certified by the election official of thecounty not less than thirty days after the election. In theevent the proposition fails to receive a majority of the votes"FOR" in the area outside the city, then such proposition shallnot be resubmitted at any election held within one year of thedate of the election the proposition was rejected.

(L. 1990 S.B. 525 § 1)