(1) Any territory which is outside the limits of any incorporated city may be annexed to an adjacent district in the manner provided in this section, whether or not the territory is in an existing rural or suburban fire protection district.

(2) The proceedings for the annexation may be initiated by either (a) the presentation to the county clerk of a petition signed by sixty percent or more of the registered voters who are residing within the boundaries of the territory to be annexed stating the desires and purposes of such petitioners or (b) the presentation to the county clerk of certified copies of resolutions passed by the board of directors of the annexing district and any other district from which the property would be annexed supporting the proposed annexation. The petition or resolutions shall contain a description of the boundaries of the territory proposed to be annexed. The petition or resolutions shall be accompanied by a map or plat and a deposit for publication costs.

(3) The county clerk shall verify the petition as provided in section 32-631 and determine and certify whether or not such petition or resolution complies with the requirements of subsection (2) of this section and that the persons signing the petition appear to reside at the addresses indicated by such petition. Thereafter, the county clerk shall forward any petition, map or plat, and certificate to the board of directors of the districts concerned.

(4) Within thirty days after receiving the petition, map or plat, and certificate of the county clerk, in accordance with subsection (3) of this section, from the county clerk, the board of directors of all affected districts shall transmit the same to the proper county board, accompanied by a report in writing approving or disapproving the proposal contained in the petition, or approving such proposal in part and disapproving it in part. If the annexation is proposed by resolutions of the affected districts, the resolutions shall be transmitted to the proper county board.

(5) The county board shall promptly designate a time and place for a hearing upon the annexation. Notice of such hearing shall be given by publication two weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the county, the last publication appearing at least seven days prior to the hearing. The notice shall be addressed to "all registered voters residing in the following boundaries" and shall include a description of the proposed boundaries as set forth in the petition or resolutions. At such hearing, any person shall have the opportunity to be heard respecting the proposed annexation.

(6) The county board shall, within forty-five days after the hearing referred to in subsection (5) of this section, determine whether such territory should be annexed and shall fix the boundaries of the territory to be annexed. No annexation shall be approved which would leave any district with less than the minimum valuation of two million eight hundred sixty thousand dollars. The determination of the county board shall be set forth in a written order which shall describe the boundaries determined upon and shall be filed in the office of the county clerk.

(7) Any area annexed from a rural or suburban fire protection district, except areas duly incorporated within the boundaries of a municipality, shall be subject to assessment and be otherwise chargeable for the payment and discharge of all the obligations of the rural or suburban fire protection district outstanding at the time of the filing of the petition or resolution for the annexation of the area as fully as though the area had not been annexed. All procedures which could be used to compel the annexed area, except for areas duly incorporated within the boundaries of a municipality, to pay its portion of the outstanding obligations had the annexation not occurred may be used to compel such payment. Areas duly incorporated within the boundaries of a municipality shall be automatically annexed from the boundaries of the district notwithstanding the provisions of section 35-540 and shall not be subject to further tax levy or other charges by the district, except that before the annexation is complete, the municipality shall assume and pay that portion of all outstanding obligations of the district which would otherwise constitute an obligation of the area annexed or incorporated. An area annexed from a rural or suburban fire protection district shall not be subject to assessment or otherwise chargeable for any obligation of any nature or kind incurred by the district after the annexation of the area from the district.

Source:Laws 1949, c. 98, § 14, p. 268; Laws 1953, c. 120, § 2, p. 379; Laws 1955, c. 128, § 9, p. 368; Laws 1957, c. 136, § 1, p. 454; Laws 1981, LB 310, § 1; Laws 1998, LB 1120, § 15; Laws 2018, LB130, § 9.

Annotations

No appeal having been taken from judgment in an error proceeding involving merger of two fire protection districts, it was conclusive of all matters which were or could have been raised therein and they cannot be relitigated in subsequent action for enforcement of that judgment. State ex rel. Southeast Rural Fire P. Dist. v. Grossman, 188 Neb. 424, 197 N.W.2d 398 (1972).

Petition and notice are required in county where land proposed to be annexed is situated. Seward County Rural Fire Protection Dist. v. County of Seward, 156 Neb. 516, 56 N.W.2d 700 (1953).