Missouri § 184.600 - Zoo district — boundaries — petition to form — areas outside city may petition to join — elections — ballot content and form.

§ 184.600. Zoo district — boundaries — petition to form — areas outside city may petition to join — elections — ballot content and form.

1.  A metropolitan zoo district may be established in any city with a population of one hundred thousand or more inhabitants located within a first class county which does not adjoin any other first class county, after voter approval pursuant to this section.  A zoo district shall consist of such institutions and places for the collection and exhibition of animals and animal life, for the instruction and recreation of the people, for the promotion of zoology and kindred subjects, for the encouragement of zoological study and research and for the increase of public interest in wild animals and in the protection of wild animal life.  The boundaries of any such metropolitan zoo district shall be the corporate boundaries of the city, any lands annexed into the city after the establishment of the district and areas adjacent to the city which petition and vote to become part of the district pursuant to section 184.602.  The question shall be submitted to the qualified voters of the city at a local or state general, primary or special election upon the petition of five percent of the qualified voters of the city as determined on the basis of the number of votes cast in the city for governor at the last election held prior to the filing of the petition, except that such election shall not be held prior to 1992.  The election officials shall give legal notice at least sixty days prior to such general or primary election or special election in at least one newspaper of general circulation within the city that such proposition shall be submitted at the next general or primary election or special election held for submission of this proposition.  A municipality shall include in the ballot a provision for a tax to support the district in an amount not to exceed ten cents per one hundred dollars assessed valuation of all taxable property within the district.

2.  Citizens living in a first class county in an area adjacent to and within two miles of a city that has formed or has called an election to form a metropolitan zoo may petition the county commission where the city is located to become part of the metropolitan zoo district by filing with the county commission a petition containing a description of the area to be included in the district and the signatures of five percent of the qualified voters of the area as determined by the county clerk on the basis of the number of votes cast in the area for governor at the last election held prior to the filing of the petition.  The question shall be submitted to the qualified voters of the area at a local or state general, primary or special election upon the certification by the county clerk that the petition contains the signatures of the required number of qualified voters.  The election officials shall give legal notice at least sixty days prior to such general or primary election or special election in at least one newspaper of general circulation within the county that such proposition shall be submitted at the next general or primary election or special election held for submission of this proposition.  The commission shall include in the ballot as requested in the petition a provision for a tax to support the district at the rate of tax which residents of the city are required to pay to support the district.

3.  If the election is held in the city such proposition shall be submitted to the voters in substantially the following form at such election:

4.  If the election is held in an area outside the city such proposition shall be submitted to the voters in substantially the following form at such election:

5.  In the event that a majority of the voters voting on such proposition in the city at such election cast votes "FOR" the proposition, then the district shall be established and the tax rate shall be in full force and effect as of the first day of the year following the year of the election.  The results of the election shall be certified by the election officials of the city not less than thirty days after the day of election.  In the event the proposition fails to receive a majority of the votes "FOR" in the city, then such proposition shall not be resubmitted at any election held within one year of the date of the election the proposition was rejected.

6.  In the event that a majority of the voters voting on such proposition in an area outside the city at such election cast votes "FOR" the proposition, then the area shall be part of the metropolitan zoo district as of the first day of the year following the year of the election provided the voters in the city have voted to form such a district.  The results of the election shall be certified by the election official of the county not less than thirty days after the election.  In the event the proposition fails to receive a majority of the votes "FOR" in the area outside the city, then such proposition shall not be resubmitted at any election held within one year of the date of the election the proposition was rejected.

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(L. 1990 S.B. 525 § 1)

---- end of effective  28 Aug 1990 ----

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