SB311

Senate Bill No. 311–Committee on Government Affairs

(On Behalf of Washoe County)

March 4, 1999

____________

Referred to Committee on Government Affairs

SUMMARY—Allows adjustment of boundaries of county commissioner election districts in certain counties to equalize population within those districts. (BDR 20-567)

FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: No.

Effect on the State or on Industrial Insurance: No.

EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [~~omitted material]~~ is material to be omitted. Green numbers along left margin indicate location on the printed bill (e.g., 5-15 indicates page 5, line 15).

AN ACT relating to county commissioners; allowing the adjustment of the boundaries of county commissioner election districts in certain counties to equalize the population within those districts; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

1-1 Section 1. NRS 244.014 is hereby amended to read as follows:

1-2 244.014 In each county whose population is 100,000 or more but less

1-3 than 400,000:

1-4 1. At the general election in 1976, and every 4 years thereafter, two

1-5 county commissioners must be elected respectively from two of the county

1-6 commissioner election districts established pursuant to this chapter.

1-7 2. At the general election in 1978, and every 4 years thereafter, three

1-8 county commissioners must be elected respectively from three of the county

1-9 commissioner election districts established pursuant to this chapter.

1-10 3. The board of county commissioners shall establish five county

1-11 commissioner election districts which must be as nearly equal in population

1-12 as practicable. Each such district must be composed of entirely contiguous

1-13 territory and be as compact as possible.

1-14 4. As soon as possible after the data from each decennial census

1-15 taken by the Bureau of the Census of the United States Department of

2-1 Commerce is made available to the county, the board of county

2-2 commissioners shall revise the five county commissioner election districts

2-3 by establishing new county commissioner election districts or adjusting

2-4 the boundaries of the existing county commissioner election districts to

2-5 the extent necessary to ensure the five county commissioner election

2-6 districts are as nearly equal in population as practicable. During each

2-7 odd-numbered year, the board of county commissioners may adjust the

2-8 boundaries of the existing county commissioner election districts if the

2-9 population in any district exceeds the population in any other district by

2-10 more than 5 percent by any measure of population found reliable by the

2-11 board of county commissioners, including, without limitation, a special

2-12 census conducted pursuant to NRS 244.183. Any county commissioner

2-13 election district established or adjusted pursuant to this subsection must

2-14 be composed of entirely contiguous territory and be as compact as

2-15 possible.

2-16 Sec. 2. NRS 244.018 is hereby amended to read as follows:

2-17 244.018 1. If new or changed county commissioner election districts

2-18 must be established because of changes in population [~~or]~~ as determined

2-19 from the data from the decennial census taken by the Bureau of the

2-20 Census of the United States Department of Commerce, pursuant to

2-21 subsection 4 of NRS 244.014 or because of changes in applicable law, the

2-22 board of county commissioners shall establish or adjust the boundaries of

2-23 those districts by ordinance and provide for the election from specified

2-24 districts of the proper numbers of county commissioners for 4-year and 2-

2-25 year terms respectively so that the numbers of county commissioners to be

2-26 elected at each general election thereafter will be as nearly equal as

2-27 possible.

2-28 2. Except as otherwise provided in NRS 244.011, if at the time a

2-29 general election is to be conducted for the election of county

2-30 commissioners from new districts there is incumbent any county

2-31 commissioner, elected at large or from a validly established election

2-32 district, whose term extends beyond the first Monday of January of the

2-33 following year, he is entitled to serve out his term and shall be deemed to

2-34 represent the new district in which he resides.