SB 896 -- ROAD DISTRICTS

SPONSOR:  Stouffer (McGhee)

COMMITTEE ACTION:  Voted "do pass by consent" by the Committee on
Local Government by a vote of 11 to 0.

Currently, in certain first classification counties and counties
of the second and third classification without a township form of
government, territory not exceeding eight square miles wherein is
located any city, town, or village of less than 100,000
inhabitants may be organized into a special road district.  This
bill removes the restriction of containing less than 100,000
inhabitants, specifies that cities, towns, and villages
containing more than 100,000 inhabitants cannot be included
within the special road district, and specifies that the
eight-square-mile territorial restriction does not apply in
counties of the fourth classification.

Currently, the boundaries of a special road district with a
territory not exceeding eight square miles may be extended to not
more than 17 square miles by a petition signed by not less than
35 voters in the original district and not less than 50% of the
voters in the proposed extension.  The bill changes the number of
signatures required in the proposed extension to the lesser of 35
voters or 50% of the voters in the proposed extension and
specifies that the 17-square-mile restriction does not apply in
counties of the fourth classification.

Currently, counties not under township organization may establish
and dissolve a public road district of at least 640 acres of
contiguous territory upon the submission of a petition signed by
the owners of a majority of the acres of land within the proposed
or existing district, respectively, and after a hearing by the
county commission.  The bill authorizes an alternative method of
establishment and dissolution of public road districts of at
least 640 acres of contiguous territory in counties of the fourth
classification. Upon submission of a petition to the county
commission signed by 50 voters of the proposed or existing
district, respectively, an election for the establishment or
dissolution of a public road district must be held within the
proposed or existing district. No petition for dissolution can be
submitted until four years after the establishment of a district
or the last election to expand or dissolve the district.

The bill also authorizes a method for the extension of the
boundaries of a public road district of at least 640 acres of
contiguous territory in a county of the fourth classification.
Upon submission of a petition to the county commission signed by
not less than 35 voters in the original district and the lesser
of 35 voters or 50% of the voters in the proposed extension, an
election for the extension of the boundaries of the district must
be held within the existing district and the proposed extension.

FISCAL NOTE:  No impact on state funds in FY 2009, FY 2010, and
FY 2011.

PROPONENTS:  Supporters say that in Lafayette County there are
two separate common road districts.  The people in these
districts would like to pave the roads, but common road districts
cannot pass bond issues.  The bill will allow the common road
districts to be dissolved and joined together to form a new
special road district to improve the roads for the residents.

Testifying for the bill were Senator Stouffer and Representative
Aull; Gil Rector and Jim Strodtman, Lafayette County Commission;
and Terrence Messonnier, Lafayette County Prosecuting Attorney's
Office.

OPPONENTS:  There was no opposition voiced to the committee.

Missouri House of Representatives
94th General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session
Last Updated October 15, 2008 at 3:12 pm