C.R.S. Section 32-1-401
Inclusion of territory

  • procedure

(1)

Intentionally left blank —Ed.

(a)

The boundaries of a special district may be altered by the inclusion of additional real property by the fee owner or owners of one hundred percent of any real property capable of being served with facilities of the special district filing with the board a petition in writing requesting that such property be included in the special district. The petition shall set forth a legal description of the property, shall state that assent to the inclusion of such property in the special district is given by the fee owner or owners thereof, and shall be acknowledged by the fee owner or owners in the same manner as required for conveyance of land.

(b)

The board shall hear the petition at a public meeting after publication of notice of the filing of such petition, the place, time, and date of such meeting, the names and addresses of the petitioners, and notice that all persons interested shall appear at such time and place and show cause in writing why the petition should not be granted. The board may continue such hearing to a subsequent meeting. There shall be no withdrawal from a petition after publication of notice by the board without the consent of the board. The failure of any municipality or county which may be able to provide service to the real property therein described or of any person in the existing special district to file a written objection shall be taken as an assent to the inclusion of the area described in the notice.

(c)

Intentionally left blank —Ed.

(I)

The board shall grant or deny the petition, in whole or in part, with or without conditions, and the action of the board shall be final and conclusive, except as provided in subparagraph (II) of this paragraph (c). If a municipality or county has filed a written objection to such inclusion, the board shall not grant the petition as to any of the real property to which adequate service is, or will be, available from such municipality or county within a reasonable time and on a comparable basis. If a petition is granted as to all or any of the real property therein described, the board shall make an order to that effect and file the same with the clerk of the court, and the court shall thereupon order the property to be included in the special district.

(II)

A municipality or county which has filed a written objection to such inclusion and which can provide adequate service to the real property described in the petition within a reasonable time and on a comparable basis may bring an action in the court, commenced within thirty days after entry of the order of the board, to determine whether the action of the board granting the inclusion was arbitrary, capricious, or unreasonable.

(2)

Intentionally left blank —Ed.

(a)

In addition to the procedure specified in subsection (1) of this section, the boundaries of a special district may be altered by the inclusion of additional real property by:

(I)

Not less than twenty percent or two hundred, whichever number is smaller, of the taxpaying electors of an area which contains twenty-five thousand or more square feet of land filing a petition with the board in writing requesting that such area be included within the special district; but no single tract or parcel of property constituting more than fifty percent of the total area to be included may be included in any special district without the consent of the owner thereof; the petition shall set forth a legal and a general description of the area to be included and shall be acknowledged in the same manner as required for conveyance of land; or

(II)

The board adopting a resolution proposing the inclusion of a specifically described area; but no single tract or parcel of property constituting more than fifty percent of the total area to be included may be included in any special district without the consent of the owner thereof.

(b)

The board shall hear the petition or resolution at a public meeting after publication of notice of the filing of such petition or adoption of such resolution, the place, time, and date of such meeting, the names and addresses of the petitioners, if applicable, the description of the area proposed for inclusion, and notice that all persons interested and a municipality or county which may be able to provide service to the real property therein described shall appear at the time and place stated and show cause in writing why the petition should not be granted or the resolution not finally adopted. The board may continue such hearing to a subsequent meeting. There shall be no withdrawal from a petition after publication of notice by the board without the consent of the board. The failure of any person in the existing special district to file a written objection shall be taken as an assent on his part to the inclusion of the area described in the notice.

(c)

The board shall grant or deny the petition or finally adopt the resolution, in whole or in part, with or without conditions, and the action of the board shall be final and conclusive, except as provided in paragraph (d) of this subsection (2). If a municipality or county has filed a written objection to such inclusion, the board shall not grant the petition as to any of the real property to which adequate service is, or will be, available from such municipality or county within a reasonable time and on a comparable basis.

(d)

If the petition is granted or the resolution finally adopted, the board shall make an order to that effect and file the same with the clerk of the court. A municipality or county which has filed a written objection to the inclusion and which can provide adequate service to the real property described in the petition within a reasonable time and on a comparable basis may bring an action in the court, commenced within thirty days after entry of the order of the board, to determine whether the action of the board granting the inclusion was arbitrary, capricious, or unreasonable. The court shall direct that the question of inclusion of the area within the special district be submitted to the eligible electors of the area to be included and shall order the secretary to give published notice, as provided in part 2 of article 5 and article 13.5 of title 1, of the time and place of the election and of the question to be submitted, together with a summary of any conditions attached to the proposed inclusion. The election shall be held within the area sought to be included and shall be held and conducted, and the results thereof determined, in the manner provided in article 13.5 of title 1. The ballot shall be prepared by the designated election official and shall contain the following words:
"Shall the following described area become a part of the .................. district upon the following conditions, if any?

(Insert description of area)

Intentionally left blank —Ed.

(Insert accurate summary of conditions)

For inclusion ........
Against inclusion ........"

(e)

If a majority of the votes cast at the election are in favor of inclusion and the court determines the election was held in accordance with article 13.5 of title 1, the court shall enter an order including any conditions so prescribed and making the area a part of the special district. The validity of the inclusion may not be questioned directly or indirectly in any suit, action, or proceeding, except as provided in article 11 of title 1.

(f)

Nothing in this part 4 shall permit the inclusion in a district of any property which could not be included in the district at the time of its organization without the written consent of the owners thereof, unless the owners of such property shall consent in writing to the inclusion of such property in the district as prayed for in said petition or unless such property is no longer excludable pursuant to the provisions of section 32-1-307 (2).

(g)

Nothing in this part 4 shall permit the inclusion in a special district of any property if a petition objecting to the inclusion and signed by the owners of taxable real and personal property, which property equals more than fifty percent of the total valuation for assessment of all taxable real and personal property to be included, is filed with the board no later than ten days prior to the public meeting held under paragraph (b) of this subsection (2).

(3)

Not more than thirty days nor less than twenty days prior to a meeting of the board held pursuant to paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of this section or paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of this section, the secretary of the special district shall send letter notification of the meeting to the property owners within the area proposed to be included within the special district as listed on the records of the county assessor on the date requested unless the petitioners represent one hundred percent of the property owners. The notification shall indicate that it is a notice of a meeting for consideration of the inclusion of real property within a special district and shall indicate the date, time, location, and purpose of the meeting, a reference to the type of special district proposed for inclusion, the maximum mill levy, if any, or stating that there is no maximum that may be imposed if the proposed area is included within the special district, and procedures for the filing of a petition for exclusion pursuant to section 32-1-203 (3.5). Except as provided in this subsection (3), the mailing of the letter notification to all addresses or post office box addresses within the area proposed to be included within the special district shall constitute a good-faith effort to comply with this section, and failure to notify all electors thereby shall not provide grounds for a challenge to the meeting being held.

(4)

Nothing in this part 4 shall be construed to permit the inclusion in a special district of any real property located in a city and county unless the governing body of such city and county has adopted a resolution of approval authorizing such inclusion pursuant to section 32-1-204.5 or waives its right to require such resolution in its sole discretion. Any resolution of approval so adopted or waiver so given shall be appended to any petition filed pursuant to paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of this section or subparagraph (I) of paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of this section.

Source: Section 32-1-401 — Inclusion of territory - procedure, https://leg.­colorado.­gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2023-title-32.­pdf (accessed Oct. 20, 2023).

32‑1‑101
Short title 32‑1‑102
Legislative declaration 32‑1‑103
Definitions 32‑1‑104
Establishment of a special districts file 32‑1‑104.5
Audit and budget requirements - election results - description on state websites 32‑1‑104.8
Information statement regarding taxes and debt 32‑1‑105
Notice of organization, dissolution, name change, or boundary change 32‑1‑106
Repetitioning of elections - time limits 32‑1‑107
Service area of special districts 32‑1‑108
Correction of faulty notices 32‑1‑109
Early hearings 32‑1‑110
Construction with other laws 32‑1‑111
Validation of special districts - bonds 32‑1‑112
Validation of boundaries of metropolitan districts 32‑1‑113
Liberal construction 32‑1‑201
Applicability 32‑1‑202
Filing of service plan required - report of filing - contents - fee 32‑1‑203
Action on service plan - criteria 32‑1‑204
Public hearing on service plan - procedures - decision 32‑1‑204.5
Approval by municipality 32‑1‑204.7
Approval by an annexing municipality 32‑1‑205
Resolution of approval required 32‑1‑206
Judicial review 32‑1‑207
Compliance - modification - enforcement 32‑1‑208
Statement of purposes - districts without service plans 32‑1‑209
Submission of information 32‑1‑301
Petition for organization 32‑1‑302
Bond of petitioners 32‑1‑303
Court jurisdiction - transfer of file - judge not disqualified 32‑1‑304
Notice of court hearing 32‑1‑304.5
Court hearing not required - health service district - health assurance district 32‑1‑305
Court hearing - election - declaration of organization 32‑1‑305.5
Organizational election - new special district - first directors 32‑1‑306
Filing decree 32‑1‑307
Park and recreation districts - metropolitan districts providing parks and recreational facilities or programs - exclusion proviso 32‑1‑308
Applicability of article to existing districts and validation - districts being organized 32‑1‑401
Inclusion of territory - procedure 32‑1‑401.5
Fire protection districts - inclusion of personalty 32‑1‑402
Effect of inclusion order 32‑1‑501
Exclusion of property by fee owners or board - procedure 32‑1‑502
Exclusion of property within municipality - procedure 32‑1‑503
Effect of exclusion order 32‑1‑601
Definitions 32‑1‑602
Procedure for consolidation 32‑1‑602.5
Consolidation and review by administrative action 32‑1‑603
Procedure after consolidation election 32‑1‑604
Advisory board members 32‑1‑605
Special election provisions for consolidated districts 32‑1‑606
Bonded indebtedness of consolidated districts 32‑1‑606.5
Elector approval of financial obligations of consolidating districts 32‑1‑607
Powers 32‑1‑608
Subsequent consolidations 32‑1‑701
Initiation - petition - procedure 32‑1‑702
Requirements for dissolution petition 32‑1‑703
Notice of filing petition 32‑1‑704
Conditions necessary for dissolution - permissible provisions - hearings - court powers 32‑1‑705
Election notice 32‑1‑706
Conduct of election 32‑1‑707
Order of dissolution - conditions attached 32‑1‑708
Disposition of remaining funds - unpaid tax or levies 32‑1‑709
Dissolution of health service district - limitation 32‑1‑710
Dissolution by administrative action 32‑1‑801
Legislative declaration - applicability 32‑1‑802
Acts and elections conducted pursuant to provisions which refer to qualified electors 32‑1‑803
Acts and elections conducted pursuant to provisions which refer to registered electors 32‑1‑803.5
Organizational election - new special district 32‑1‑804
Board to conduct elections - combined election - time for special election 32‑1‑805.5
Ranked voting methods 32‑1‑806
Persons entitled to vote at special district elections 32‑1‑807
Nonapplicability of criminal penalties 32‑1‑808
Transfer of property title to qualify electors - limitations - validation 32‑1‑809
Notice to electors 32‑1‑901
Oath or affirmation and bond of directors 32‑1‑902
Organization of board - compensation - disclosure 32‑1‑902.5
Increasing the number of board members 32‑1‑902.7
Director districts 32‑1‑903
Meetings - definitions 32‑1‑904
Office 32‑1‑905
Vacancies 32‑1‑906
Directors subject to recall - applicability of laws 32‑1‑907
Recall election - resignation 32‑1‑908
Recall procedures 32‑1‑909
Recall petition - designated election official - approval as to form - definition 32‑1‑910
Petition in sections - signing - affidavit - review - tampering with petition 32‑1‑911
Resignation - vacancy filled - election - ballot - nomination 32‑1‑912
Incumbent not recalled - reimbursement - definition 32‑1‑913
Second recall petition 32‑1‑914
Powers of designated election official and county clerk and recorder 32‑1‑915
Costs of recall 32‑1‑1001
Common powers - definitions 32‑1‑1002
Fire protection districts - additional powers and duties 32‑1‑1003
Health service districts - additional powers 32‑1‑1003.5
Health assurance districts - additional powers - legislative declaration - definitions 32‑1‑1004
Metropolitan districts - additional powers and duties 32‑1‑1005
Park and recreation districts - additional powers - limitations 32‑1‑1006
Sanitation, water and sanitation, or water districts - additional powers - special provisions 32‑1‑1007
Ambulance districts - additional powers - special provisions 32‑1‑1008
Tunnel districts - additional powers - special provisions 32‑1‑1009
Regional tourism projects 32‑1‑1101
Common financial powers - definition 32‑1‑1101.5
Special district debt - quinquennial findings of reasonable diligence 32‑1‑1101.7
Establishment of special improvement districts within the boundaries of a special district 32‑1‑1103
Special financial provisions - health service districts 32‑1‑1105
Special financial provisions - tunnel districts 32‑1‑1106
Special financial provisions - metropolitan districts that provide fire protection, parks or recreational facilities or programs, street improvement, safety protection, or transportation services 32‑1‑1201
Procedure 32‑1‑1202
County officers to levy and collect - lien 32‑1‑1203
Sale for delinquencies 32‑1‑1204
Liability of property included or excluded from district 32‑1‑1301
Legislative declaration - applicability 32‑1‑1302
Refunding bonds 32‑1‑1303
Limitations upon issuance 32‑1‑1304
Use of proceeds of refunding bonds 32‑1‑1305
Combination of refunding and other bonds 32‑1‑1306
Board’s determination final 32‑1‑1307
Construction of part 13 32‑1‑1401
Legislative declaration 32‑1‑1402
Definitions 32‑1‑1403
Petition 32‑1‑1403.5
Notice and hearing by board 32‑1‑1404
Powers 32‑1‑1405
Powers not limited by this part 14 32‑1‑1406
Validation of bankruptcy filings and approvals 32‑1‑1601
Legislative declaration 32‑1‑1602
Definitions 32‑1‑1603
Separate mill levies - certification to county commissioners 32‑1‑1604
Recording 32‑1‑1605
Limitations on actions - prior law 32‑1‑1701
Legislative declaration 32‑1‑1702
New business facilities - expanded or existing business facilities - incentives - limitations - authority to exceed revenue-raising limitation 32‑1‑1801
Short title 32‑1‑1802
Legislative declaration 32‑1‑1803
Definitions 32‑1‑1804
Integrated project delivery contracts - authorization - effect of other laws 32‑1‑1805
Integrated project delivery contracting process - prequalification of participating entities - apprentice training 32‑1‑1806
Requests for proposals - evaluation and award of integrated project delivery contracts 32‑1‑1807
Supplemental provisions
Green check means up to date. Up to date

Current through Fall 2024

§ 32-1-401’s source at colorado​.gov