Missouri Revised Statutes Title VI. County, Township and Political Subdivision Government § 68.060. Consolidation of port districts by contract, how

1. Any combination of cities and counties individually eligible to form local port authorities, and cities and counties with existing local port authorities, are authorized to directly apply to the highways and transportation commission of the state for approval of a regional port authority as a political subdivision of the state.

2. The legislative bodies or county commissions of cities or counties desiring to form a regional port authority are hereby authorized to enter into contractual agreements with each other for the purpose of creating within each jurisdiction regional port districts administered by the regional port authority.  All terms and provisions of said contractual agreements shall be consistent with the provisions of this chapter.  The contractual agreement shall be filed in the office of county clerk, city clerk or clerk of the county council of each party to the agreement.

3. The boundaries of any regional port district, and the number, method of appointment, terms, qualifications, salaries, powers and duties of a regional board of commissioners shall be fixed by the contractual agreement;  provided, however, that any contractual agreement shall not become effective until it has been submitted to and approved by all of the legislative bodies or county commissions entering into said contractual agreement.

4. The port districts to be included within the regional port authority need not be contiguous, adjacent, or abutting.

5. Any local port authority is authorized to contract with an existing regional port authority for inclusion in the regional port authority.  The contractual agreement shall be formulated by the terms and procedures expressed in subsections 2 and 3 of this section.  Approval of the highways and transportation commission shall be required to make the annexation effective.

6. Any local port authority established by a city or county, that subsequently enters into a contractual agreement and is approved as part of a regional port authority, is dissolved as of the date that the annexation is approved by the highways and transportation commission of the state.  On said date, all funds and other assets of the local port authority shall be transferred to the regional port authority.  The regional port authority shall faithfully perform all existing contracts and assume all legal obligations of the local port authority.