Sec. 3. (a) Within twenty (20) days after the order establishing the district, the board of commissioners of the county shall appoint the initial board of directors. A director shall be appointed for each of the areas in the district as established by the court. A director must be a freeholder of the area of the district for which appointed or an officer or nominee of a corporate freeholder of the area of the district for which appointed and must be qualified by knowledge and experience in matters pertaining to the development of the district. A majority of the directors must be resident freeholders of the district if available and qualified. A majority of the initial directors must be petitioners for the establishment of the district, but for this purpose an officer or nominee of a corporate freeholder of the district, if the corporation is one (1) of the petitioners, is considered a petitioner.

     (b) When vacancies on the board occur due to expiration of terms, resignation, or otherwise, directors shall be elected by a majority, written ballot vote of the freeholders of the district. Between April 24 and May 1, the board shall invite nominations to fill vacancies on the board by one (1) publication in a newspaper of general circulation in each of the counties in the district. Each publication must:

(1) contain the names of the directors whose terms are expiring and the area of the district involved;

(2) invite nominations to fill vacancies; and

(3) state the qualifications for the office, that are the same as prescribed by subsection (a), except a nominee need not have been a petitioner for the establishment of the district nor a resident of the area of the district for which nominations are invited.

     (c) Nominations for director must be submitted to the office of the district in writing before June 1 following notice of vacancies and must be signed by at least five (5) freeholders from the areas designated by the secretary’s notice. Nominations that are mailed are valid if delivered or postmarked before June 1 if the envelope has sufficient U.S. postage and is addressed to the district’s office.

     (d) The election of directors of a district shall be held the Saturday or Sunday immediately before or after July 4. The board of directors of a district shall establish the date for the election of directors.

     (e) Notice of the annual election of directors of the district must be published in one (1) issue of a newspaper of general circulation in each county in the district. The notice must be published:

(1) not less than fourteen (14); and

(2) not more than thirty-one (31);

days before the election. The notice must contain the names of the nominees, the place where ballots can be cast in the election, and the date and time of the election.

     (f) Before the election, the board shall prepare the ballots and a list of the freeholders of the district, that must be certified by the county auditor and placed in the district’s files. No deficiency in this process or omission of the names of any freeholders voids action taken at an annual meeting.

     (g) A freeholder is entitled to only one (1) vote per freeholder.

     (h) Before the election of directors, the chairman shall appoint three (3) or, if necessary, more freeholders of the district to act as clerks of the election and to conduct the election.

     (i) If a district fails to conduct an election of directors as provided by this chapter, any interested person of the district may petition the board of commissioners of the county to appoint a director to fill vacancies. The board of commissioners of the county shall make its appointment within fifteen (15) days from the date the petition is filed.

As added by P.L.185-1995, SEC.2.