In lieu of providing a countywide system of emergency service communication, the legislative authority of a county may establish one or more less than countywide emergency service communication districts within the county for the purpose of providing and funding emergency service communication systems. An emergency service communication district is a quasi-municipal corporation, shall constitute a body corporate, and shall possess all the usual powers of a corporation for public purposes as well as all other powers that may now or hereafter be specifically conferred by statute, including, but not limited to, the authority to hire employees, staff, and services, to enter into contracts, and to sue and be sued.

     The county legislative authority shall be the governing body of an emergency service communication district. The county treasurer shall act as the ex officio treasurer of the emergency services communication district. The electors of an emergency service communication district are all registered voters residing within the district.

     A county legislative authority proposing to consolidate existing emergency service communication districts shall conduct a hearing at the time and place specified in a notice published at least once, not less than ten days prior to the hearing, in a newspaper of general circulation within the emergency service communication districts. All hearings shall be public and the county legislative authority shall hear objections from any person affected by the consolidation of the emergency service communication districts. Following the hearing, the county legislative authority may consolidate the emergency service communication districts, if the county legislative authority finds the action to be in the public interest and adopts a resolution providing for the action. The county legislative authority shall specify the manner in which consolidation is to be accomplished.

     A county legislative authority proposing to dissolve an existing emergency service communication district shall conduct a hearing at the time and place specified in a notice published at least once, not less than ten days prior to the hearing, in a newspaper of general circulation within the emergency service communication district. All hearings shall be public and the county legislative authority shall hear objections from any person affected by the dissolution of the emergency service communication district. Following the hearing, the county legislative authority may dissolve the emergency service communication district, if the county legislative authority finds the action to be in the public interest and adopts a resolution providing for the action. The county legislative authority shall specify the manner in which dissolution is to be accomplished and shall supervise the liquidation of any assets and the satisfaction of any outstanding indebtedness.

[1994 c 54 § 1; 1987 c 17 § 1.]