About
Establishing a Subdistrict: To create a Subdistrict, landowners must file a petition to request a hearing and a referendum with the Board of the Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisors. The petition must be signed by one or more owners of 50% of the lands in the proposed subdistrict.
The subdistrict area must be contiguous and include the entire hydrologic area. Next, a proposed plan of work must be developed and submitted.
A hearing notice and hearing will be held (detailed rules apply, see statute). The Supervisors will determine if a subdistrict is desirable, practicable, feasible and necessary for public healthy, safety and general welfare. Be sure to address all these areas in the petition’s plan of work – be specific and use lots of data.
To pass, 65% of all landowners in the district must vote in favor of establishing the district.
Governing Body: A 5-member board of trustees is elected from the subdistrict area. The Supervisors act as advisors to the subdistrict board, and receive minutes from the subdistrict meetings. There are election and years of service rules that apply. Each year the board must also prepare an annual budget that is used to assess the annual tax.
Powers of the Governing Body:
- Acquire lands, easements or right-of-ways through purchase, exchange, lease, gift, grant, bequest, devise, condemnation, other means
- Implement projects that align with goals of the subdistrict, includes construction, repair, improvement, operation, maintenance, etc.
- Issue bonds, borrow money,
- Sue or be sued
- Levy a one-time Organization Tax (no more than 40-cents per $100 of assessed valuation of real estate) for organization and administration expenses
- Levy an annual tax – after trustees have obtained agreements and farm plans from 65% or more of the lands in the district
Missouri state statues that govern the powers, establishment and disestablishment of a WID can be found in Chapters 249.1150, 249.1155.
Consult your municipal attorney prior to moving forward with Subdistrict opportunity.