17B-1-507 - Withdrawal petition certification -- Amended petition.
17B-1-507. Withdrawal petition certification -- Amended petition.
(1) Within 30 days after the filing of a petition under Sections 17B-1-504 and17B-1-506, the board of trustees of the local district in which the area proposed to be withdrawnis located shall:
(a) with the assistance of officers of the county in which the area proposed to bewithdrawn is located, determine whether the petition meets the requirements of Sections17B-1-504 and 17B-1-506; and
(b) (i) if the petition complies with the requirements set forth in Sections 17B-1-504 and17B-1-506, certify the petition and mail or deliver written notification of the certification to thecontact sponsor; or
(ii) if the petition fails to comply with any of the requirements set forth in Sections17B-1-504 and 17B-1-506, reject the petition as insufficient and mail or deliver writtennotification of the rejection and the reasons for the rejection to the contact sponsor.
(2) (a) If the board rejects the petition under Subsection (1)(b)(ii), the petition may beamended to correct the deficiencies for which it was rejected and then refiled within 60 days afternotice of the rejection.
(b) A valid signature on a petition that was rejected under Subsection (1)(b)(ii) may beused toward fulfilling the applicable signature requirement for an amended petition refiled underSubsection (2)(a).
(3) The board of trustees shall process an amended petition refiled under Subsection(2)(a) in the same manner as an original petition under Subsection (1). If an amended petition isrejected for failure to comply with the requirements of Sections 17B-1-504 and 17B-1-506, theboard of trustees shall issue a final rejection of the petition for insufficiency and mail or deliverwritten notice of the final rejection to the contact sponsor.
(4) (a) A signer of a petition for which there has been a final rejection under Subsection(3) for insufficiency may seek judicial review of the board of trustees' final decision to reject thepetition as insufficient.
(b) Judicial review under Subsection (4)(a) shall be initiated by filing an action in statedistrict court in the county in which a majority of the area proposed to be withdrawn is located.
(c) The court in which an action is filed under this Subsection (4) may not overturn theboard of trustees' decision to reject the petition unless the court finds that:
(i) the board of trustees' decision was arbitrary or capricious; or
(ii) the petition materially complies with the requirements set forth in Sections17B-1-504 and 17B-1-506.
(d) The court may award costs and expenses of an action under this section, includingreasonable attorney fees, to the prevailing party.
Renumbered and Amended by Chapter 329, 2007 General Session