67.2505.  Purpose of district — name — size — subdistricts permitted — procedure for establishment of a district. — 1.  A district may be created to fund, promote, and provide educational, civic, musical, theatrical, cultural, concerts, lecture series, and related or similar entertainment events or activities, and to fund, promote, plan, design, construct, improve, maintain, and operate public improvements, infrastructure, transportation projects, and related facilities in the district.

  2.  A district is a political subdivision of the state.

  3.  The name of a district shall consist of a name chosen by the original petitioners, preceding the words "theater, cultural arts, and entertainment district".

  4.  The district shall include a minimum of twenty-five contiguous acres.

  5.  Subdistricts shall be formed for the purpose of voting upon proposals for the creation of the district or subsequent proposed subdistrict, voting upon the question of imposing a proposed sales tax, and for representation on the board of directors, and for no other purpose.

  6.  Whenever the creation of a district is desired, one or more registered voters from each subdistrict of the proposed district, or one or more property owners who collectively own one or more parcels of real estate comprising at least a majority of the land situated in the proposed subdistricts within the proposed district, may file a petition requesting the creation of a district with the governing body of the city, town, or village within which the proposed district is to be established.  The petition shall contain the following information:

  (1)  The name, address, and phone number of each petitioner and the location of the real property owned by the petitioner;

  (2)  The name of the proposed district;

  (3)  A legal description of the proposed district, including a map illustrating the district boundaries, which shall be contiguous, and the division of the district into at least five, but not more than fifteen, subdistricts that shall contain, or are projected to contain upon full development of the subdistricts, approximately equal populations;

  (4)  A statement indicating the number of directors to serve on the board, which shall be not less than five or more than fifteen;

  (5)  A request that the district be established;

  (6)  A general description of the activities that are planned for the district;

  (7)  A proposal for a sales tax to fund the district initially, pursuant to the authority granted in sections 67.2500 to 67.2530, together with a request that the imposition of the sales tax be submitted to the qualified voters within the district;

  (8)  A statement that the proposed district shall not be an undue burden on any owner of property within the district and is not unjust or unreasonable;

  (9)  A request that the question of the establishment of the district be submitted to the qualified voters of the district;

  (10)  A signed statement that the petitioners are authorized to submit the petition to the governing body; and

  (11)  Any other items the petitioners deem appropriate.

  7.  Upon the filing and approval of a petition pursuant to this section, the governing body of any city, town, or village described in this section shall pass a resolution containing the following information:

  (1)  A description of the boundaries of the proposed district and each subdistrict;

  (2)  The time and place of a hearing to be held to consider establishment of the proposed district;

  (3)  The time frame and manner for the filing of protests;

  (4)  The proposed sales tax rate to be voted upon within the subdistricts of the proposed district;

  (5)  The proposed uses for the revenue to be generated by the new sales tax; and

  (6)  Such other matters as the governing body may deem appropriate.

  8.  Prior to the governing body certifying the question of the district's creation and imposing a sales tax for approval by the qualified electors, a hearing shall be held as provided by this subsection.  The governing body of the municipality approving a resolution as set forth in subsection 7 of this section shall:

  (1)  Publish notice of the hearing, which shall include the information contained in the resolution cited in subsection 7 of this section, on two separate occasions in at least one newspaper of general circulation in the county where the proposed district is located, with the first publication to occur not more than thirty days before the hearing, and the second publication to occur not more than fifteen days or less than ten days before the hearing;

  (2)  Hear all protests and receive evidence for or against the establishment of the proposed district; and

  (3)  Consider all protests, which determinations shall be final.

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The costs of printing and publication of the notice shall be paid by the petitioners.  If the district is organized pursuant to sections 67.2500 to 67.2530, the petitioners may be reimbursed for such costs out of the revenues received by the district.

  9.  Following the hearing, the governing body of any city, town, or village within which the proposed district will be located may order an election on the questions of the district creation and sales tax funding for voter approval and certify the questions to the municipal clerk.  The election order shall include the date on which the ballots will be mailed to qualified electors, which shall be not sooner than the eighth Tuesday from the issuance of the order.  The election regarding the incorporation of the district and the imposing of the sales tax shall follow the procedure set forth in section 67.2520, and shall be held pursuant to the order and certification by the governing body.  Only those subdistricts approving the question of creating the district and imposing the sales tax shall become part of the district.

  10.  If the results of the election conducted in accordance with section 67.2520 show that a majority of the votes cast were in favor of organizing the district and imposing the sales tax, the governing body may establish the proposed district in those subdistricts approving the question of creating the district and imposing the sales tax by adopting an ordinance to that effect.  The ordinance establishing the district shall contain the following:

  (1)  The description of the boundaries of the district and each subdistrict;

  (2)  A statement that a theater, cultural arts, and entertainment district has been established;

  (3)  A declaration that the district is a political subdivision of the state;

  (4)  The name of the district;

  (5)  The date on which the sales tax election in the subdistricts was held, and the result of the election;

  (6)  The uses for any revenue generated by a sales tax imposed pursuant to this section;

  (7)  A certification to the newly created district of the election results, including the election concerning the sales tax; and

  (8)  Such other matters as the governing body deems appropriate.

  11.  Any subdistrict that does not approve the creation of the district and imposing the sales tax shall not be a part of the district and the sales tax shall not be imposed until after the district board of directors has submitted another proposal for the inclusion of the area into the district and such proposal and the sales tax proposal are approved by a majority of the qualified voters in the subdistrict voting thereon.  Such subsequent elections shall be conducted in accordance with section 67.2520; provided, however, that the district board of directors may place the question of the inclusion of a subdistrict within a district and the question of imposing a sales tax before the voters of a proposed subdistrict, and the municipal clerk, or circuit clerk if the district is formed by the circuit court, shall conduct the election.  In subsequent elections, the election judges shall certify the election results to the district board of directors.