Missouri Revised Statutes Title XII. Public Health and Welfare § 204.355. Extension of boundaries, procedure--ballot form

1. Whenever any sewer district shall have been organized as provided by sections 204.250 to 204.470, and it shall appear necessary, convenient or advisable to extend the boundaries of such district for the purpose of including therein a contiguous area which could be efficiently served by the sewer system of the district, or by reasonable modifications, extensions or improvements thereof, the boundaries of the district may be extended as provided in this section, but the extension shall not include any territory within the boundaries of any other sewer district.

2. The trustees of the district may, and shall upon receipt of a petition signed by twenty-five or more persons residing either within the present boundaries of the district or within the area of the proposed addition, file with the circuit court having jurisdiction of the district a petition setting forth the reasonableness or necessity for extending the boundaries of the district, the boundary lines of the proposed extension, and a prayer for such further action as may be necessary to determine the question as to whether the boundaries of the district should be extended.

3. The court shall fix a time at which it will hear the petition or any objections thereto, and it shall be the duty of the clerk of the circuit court to cause a notice to be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the county where the proceedings are pending for three consecutive weeks before the court date, which notice shall set out the proposed boundaries of the extension of the district.

4. If upon the hearing of the petition and objections, the court shall find that an extension of the boundaries of the district is necessary or reasonable for the preservation of the public health or public welfare, or will be of public utility or benefit, the court shall find in favor of the petitioners and shall render its decree to that effect. In its decree the court may alter or amend the boundaries of the proposed extension as originally proposed in the petition. If the court shall find that such an extension is not necessary or will not be of public health or public welfare or will not be of public utility or benefit and will not be advisable, then it shall find against the petitioners and shall dismiss the petition.

5. If the court shall find in favor of the petitioners, it shall enter its order directing the appropriate election authority to call and hold an election in the original sewer district and the territory proposed to be annexed on the question of whether the territory should be annexed to the sewer district. The notice shall include a description of the territory to be annexed.

6. The question shall be submitted in the following form:

“Shall the ․․․․․․․․․․․․ sewer district annex the contiguous area described in the notice for this election?”

7. The election authority shall certify the results of the election to the circuit court having jurisdiction of the matter. If a majority of the votes cast on the proposition, in the original sewer district and the territory to be annexed combined, shall be in favor of the annexation, then the court shall render a decree declaring the boundaries of the district to be extended and describing the boundaries of the district as extended. If a majority of the votes cast on the proposition, in the original sewer district and the territory to be annexed combined, shall be against the annexation, then the court shall render a decree declaring that the proposal to extend the boundaries has failed and that the boundaries of the sewer district shall remain unchanged.