Section 4-48A-4 - Formation of special hospital district; petition.
4-48A-4. Formation of special hospital district; petition.
A. If creation of a special hospital district is proposed, there shall be a petition circulated in the county for the creation of a special hospital district in the county or in each subdistrict of a special hospital district composed of all or portions of two or more counties. Petitions for the creation of a special hospital district shall designate the name of the proposed district and the territorial area within and outside the county to be included within the district and whether the initial board of trustees shall be elected at large or from single-member districts. If the petition calls for election of the board from single-member districts, it shall describe the districts, which shall be contiguous, compact, as equal in population as practicable and otherwise in compliance with applicable law. Each petition shall be signed only by qualified electors of the proposed special hospital district. The name and post office address of each signer shall be indicated on the petition.
B. In the case of a special hospital district lying wholly within a county, the petition shall contain signatures in a number equal to or in excess of ten percent of the votes cast for governor in the territory of the proposed special hospital district in the last preceding general election at which a governor of the state was elected. In the case of a special hospital district composed of all or a portion of two or more counties, the petition for each subdistrict shall contain signatures in a number equal to or greater than ten percent of the votes cast for governor in the territory of the subdistrict in the last preceding general election at which a governor of the state was elected. For the purpose of determining the vote cast for governor in the territory of the proposed special hospital district or subdistrict, any portion of a precinct within the proposed district or subdistrict shall be construed as if the entire precinct were wholly within the territory of the proposed special hospital district.
C. The petition calling for the creation of the special hospital district shall be filed with the county clerk of the county in which the district or subdistrict is proposed. The county clerk shall verify that the petition complies with all the requirements of the Special Hospital District Act [Chapter 4, Article 48A NMSA 1978]. Upon such verification, the county clerk shall certify that fact, along with the petition, to the board of county commissioners. In the case of a special hospital district composed of all or portions of two or more counties, the board of county commissioners shall notify the boards of county commissioners of the other county or counties which are party to the agreement that a petition for the subdistrict within that county complying with all the requirements of the Special Hospital District Act has been certified and filed.