WITHDRAWAL: ALTERNATIVE METHOD FOR CERTAIN EMERGENCY SERVICES DISTRICTS

(a) An emergency services district described by Section 451.601(3) may withdraw from an authority, in addition to any other manner provided by law, by a vote of a majority of the registered voters of the district voting at an election on the question of withdrawing from the authority. (b) The governing body of the emergency services district shall call an election under this section if a petition requesting that an election to withdraw from the authority be held is submitted to the governing body and is signed by at least 10 percent of the registered voters of the district on the date the petition is submitted. To be counted for purposes of validating the petition, a signature on the petition must have been inscribed not earlier than the 120th day before the date the petition is submitted to the governing body. (c) The governing body, before the 31st day after the date the petition is submitted to the governing body, shall determine whether a petition under this section is valid, and if the governing body fails to act on the petition before the expiration of that period, the petition is valid. (d) Sections 451.601, 451.607, 451.608, 451.609, 451.611, 451.612(a), and 451.613 apply to the withdrawal of an emergency services district under this section. (e) An election may not be called under this section to be held on a date earlier than the first anniversary of the date of the most recent election held under this section.