The township board shall be the governing body of any fire district created hereunder except that if in any such fire district a major portion of its territory is within the limits of one or more cities and all of the territory of such fire district is located in one county commissioner district, the governing body of such fire district shall be a board of three members to be appointed by the county commissioner of the district in which such fire district is located and who shall hold office for a term of three years, except that the members of the first board appointed shall hold office for terms as follows: One for a term of one year, one for a term of two years, and one for a term of three years, and the county commissioner when he or she appoints the members of the first board shall designate the term which each is to serve and he or she shall appoint the members of the first board within thirty days after this act takes effect; and in the case of a vacancy in the membership of the board occurring before the expiration of the term, a successor shall be appointed in like manner as regular appointments are made and the member so appointed shall serve for the remainder of the unexpired term; and no person shall be eligible to be appointed a member of the board unless he or she is a legal elector residing in such fire district; the members of the governing body shall receive no compensation for their services but they shall be allowed their actual expenses incurred in the performance of their official duties.