Montana § 7-2-2801 - Alteration Of County Boundaries For Public Safety Purposes -- Authorization -- Petition -- Definitions

§ 7-2-2801. Alteration Of County Boundaries For Public Safety Purposes -- Authorization -- Petition -- Definitions

Alteration of county boundaries for public safety purposes -- authorization -- petition -- definitions. (1) County boundaries may be altered for reasons of improving public safety as provided in this part. (2) (a) Before a petition to alter county boundaries as provided in this part may be circulated for signatures, a sample petition must be submitted to the county election administrator of the county in which the property is located for approval as to form. The person submitting the sample petition shall consult with a professional land surveyor, as defined in 37-67-101 , to prepare a legal description of the proposed new county boundary. (b) The county election administrator shall refer a copy of the sample petition to the county attorney, who shall review the sample petition to ensure compliance with the requirements of this part. (c) The county attorney shall cooperate with and provide necessary services to the person who submitted the petition to ensure that an adequate and valid legal description is written for the proposed new county boundary. (d) If the petition is rejected as to form, the county election administrator shall within 10 days after submission of the sample send written notice of the rejection to the person who submitted the petition. If the petition is approved as to form, the election administrator shall within 10 days after submission of the sample send written notice of the approval to the person who submitted the petition. After that notice, the petition may not be challenged except with regard to the number and validity of signatures appended to it. (3) Upon approval as to form, a petition to alter county boundaries for public safety purposes may be circulated for signatures. (4) To be considered at an election, the petition must be signed by at least 25 or a majority of the qualified petitioners, whichever is less, and must be submitted within 120 days of the petition's approval as to form to the county clerks of the adjoining counties for which boundary changes are proposed requesting that the proposed boundary changes be submitted to the qualified electors of the adjoining counties. (5) The petition must include: (a) the names of the qualified petitioners and the legal description of the property owned by the qualified petitioner that is proposed to be transferred to an adjoining county; (b) a general description of the property proposed to be moved from one county to another; (c) a general description and legal description of the proposed boundary change; (d) a map showing the proposed boundary change; and (e) the reason, based on proximity to public safety services, for the proposed boundary change. (6) For the purposes of this part, the following definitions apply: (a) "Public safety services" means law enforcement, firefighting, or emergency medical services. (b) "Qualified petitioner" means an owner of real property in an area of a county that is proposed to become part of an adjoining county whose property may be reached more quickly by public safety services headquartered in the county seat of an adjoining county than by public safety services headquartered in the county seat of the county in which the owner's property is located.