1. The boundaries of any special road district in any county with a population of less than one hundred thousand inhabitants which contains all or part of a city with a population of three hundred fifty thousand or more inhabitants may be changed in the manner prescribed in this section. A change of boundaries of the special road district shall not impair or affect its organization or its rights in or to property, or any of its rights or privileges; nor shall it affect or impair or discharge any contract, obligation, lien or charge for or upon which it might be liable or chargeable had any change of boundaries not been made.

2. Fifty percent of the owners of any territory or tract of land adjacent to the special road district who own not less than fifty percent of the real estate in such territory or tract of land may file with the commissioners of the special road district a petition in writing praying that such real property be included within the district. The petition shall describe the property to be included in the district and shall describe the property owned by the petitioners and shall be deemed to give assent of the petitioners to the inclusion in the district of the property described in the petition.

Terms Used In Missouri Laws 233.316

  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
  • Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
  • person: may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate, and to partnerships and other unincorporated associations. See Missouri Laws 1.020
  • Property: includes real and personal property. See Missouri Laws 1.020
  • Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.

3. The clerk or secretary of the board of road district commissioners shall cause notice of the filing of any petition filed pursuant to this section to be given and published in a newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the property is located, which notice shall recite the filing of such petition, the number of petitioners, a general description of the boundaries of the area proposed to be included and the prayer of the petitioners, giving notice to all persons interested to appear at the office of the board at the time named in the notice and show cause in writing why the petition should not be granted. The board shall at the time and place mentioned, or at such time or times to which the hearing may be adjourned, proceed to hear the petition and all objections thereto presented in writing by any person showing cause why the petition should not be granted. The failure of any person interested to show cause in writing why such petition shall not be granted shall be deemed as an assent on his part to the inclusion of such lands in the district as prayed for in the petition.

4. If the board deems it in the best interest of the district, it shall grant the petition, but if the board determines that some portion of the property mentioned in the petition cannot as a practical matter be served by the district, or if it deems it for the best interest of the district that some portion of the property in the petition not be included in the district, then the board shall not grant the petition. If the petition is granted, the board shall make an order to that effect and file the same with the circuit clerk; however, such order shall not be final unless and until the governing body of the county approves the boundary change.

5. The special road district shall maintain any public road located within the territory or tract of land included within the boundaries of a special road district under this section in the same manner as it maintains other roads under its jurisdiction, and in addition, such territory or tract of land so included in the district shall be subject to taxes levied by the district on all property located within the district.