C.R.S. Section 37-46-142
Debt election contests

(1)

Any election declared to have carried on an authorization to issue any bonds, by approval of the bond question, or otherwise to incur an indebtedness by approval of the question thereon may be contested by any elector of the district or subdistrict holding the debt election by suit against it as contestee and defendant in any district court of any county in which the district or subdistrict holding the election is wholly or partially situate:

(a)

When illegal votes have been received or legal votes rejected at the polls in sufficient numbers to change the results;

(b)

For any error or mistake on the part of any of the judges of election, any county clerk and recorder, the secretary of the district, or their respective officers and employees in counting or declaring the result of the election, if the error or mistake is sufficient to change the result;

(c)

For malconduct, fraud, or corruption on the part of any of the judges of election, any county clerk and recorder, the secretary of the district, or their respective officers and employees, if the malconduct, fraud, or corruption is sufficient to change the result;

(d)

When the bonds or other indebtedness is authorized to be issued for an invalid purpose; or

(e)

For any other cause which shows that the bonds or other indebtedness is not validly authorized at the election.

(2)

The style and form of process, the manner of service of process and papers, the fees of officers, and judgment for costs and execution thereon shall be according to the rules and practices of the court.

(3)

Before the court shall take jurisdiction of the contest, the contestor shall file with the clerk of the court a bond, with sureties, to be approved by the judge thereof, running to the district or subdistrict holding the debt election as contestee and conditioned to pay all costs in case of failure of the contestor to maintain his contest.

(4)

When the validity of any bond or other indebtedness election is contested, the plaintiff or plaintiffs, within thirty days after the returns of the election are canvassed and the results thereof declared and published, or last published, as the case may be, shall file with the clerk of the court a verified written complaint setting forth specifically:

(a)

The name of the party contesting the election and a statement that the plaintiff or each plaintiff is an elector of the district or subdistrict holding the election;

(b)

The proposition or propositions voted on at the election which are contested, the name of the district or the subdistrict as defendant and contestee, and the date of the election; and

(c)

The particular grounds of such contest.

(5)

No such contest shall be maintained and no election shall be set aside or held invalid unless such a complaint is filed within the period prescribed in subsection (4) of this section.

(6)

Except as otherwise provided in this article, the election laws pertaining to contested election cases of municipal offices as provided in part 13 of article 10 of title 31, C.R.S., of the “Colorado Municipal Election Code of 1965”, as from time to time amended, shall be applicable to bond or other indebtedness elections; but any such contest shall be regarded as one contesting the outcome of the vote on the proposition authorizing the issuance of securities or otherwise incurring the indebtedness, rather than election to office, and the district or subdistrict as contestee, rather than a person declared to have been elected to office, shall be regarded as the defendant.

(7)

If the board of directors declares the proposition authorizing the issuance of bonds or otherwise incurring the indebtedness to have carried and no contest is duly filed or if such a contest is filed after it is favorably terminated, the board may issue the bonds or otherwise incur the indebtedness authorized at the election at one time or from time to time.

Source: Section 37-46-142 — Debt election contests, https://leg.­colorado.­gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2023-title-37.­pdf (accessed Oct. 20, 2023).

37‑46‑101
Legislative declaration 37‑46‑102
Definitions 37‑46‑103
District body corporate - area 37‑46‑104
Board of directors 37‑46‑105
Compensation of directors 37‑46‑106
Vacancies - secretary and treasurer 37‑46‑107
General powers 37‑46‑108
Principal office - meetings 37‑46‑109
Authority of board to levy taxes 37‑46‑109.3
Taxes - determination and collection 37‑46‑109.4
Levies to cover district’s deficiencies 37‑46‑110
Organization 37‑46‑111
Rules and regulations 37‑46‑112
Petition 37‑46‑113
Notice of hearing on petition 37‑46‑114
Protesting of petitions 37‑46‑114.5
Alternative procedure for organizing a subdistrict 37‑46‑115
Board of directors to prepare plans 37‑46‑116
Appointment of appraisers 37‑46‑117
Compensation of appraisers 37‑46‑118
Board bound by financing plan 37‑46‑119
Directors may make assessments 37‑46‑120
Improvement district bonds 37‑46‑121
Assessments perpetual lien 37‑46‑122
Invalid assessments - board remedy 37‑46‑123
Assessment record as evidence 37‑46‑124
Remedies in case of faulty notice 37‑46‑125
Lawful contracts 37‑46‑126
Issuance of general obligation bonds and revenue bonds 37‑46‑126.2
Subdistrict’s levy of taxes 37‑46‑126.3
Levy and collection of subdistrict’s taxes 37‑46‑126.4
Levies to cover subdistrict deficiencies 37‑46‑126.5
County to levy and collect 37‑46‑126.6
Delinquent taxes 37‑46‑127
Maintenance assessment 37‑46‑128
Annual levy limit 37‑46‑129
Investment of surplus funds 37‑46‑130
Sinking fund 37‑46‑131
Court confirmation 37‑46‑132
Allocation of water or service 37‑46‑133
Election to authorize debt 37‑46‑134
Definition of elector 37‑46‑135
Elections 37‑46‑136
Election resolution 37‑46‑137
Conduct of election 37‑46‑138
Notice of election 37‑46‑139
Polling places 37‑46‑140
Election supplies 37‑46‑141
Election returns 37‑46‑142
Debt election contests 37‑46‑143
Covenants and other provisions in bonds 37‑46‑144
Liens on pledged revenues 37‑46‑145
Rights - powers of holders of bonds - trustees 37‑46‑146
Investments and securities 37‑46‑147
Rents and charges 37‑46‑148
Miscellaneous powers 37‑46‑149
Cooperative powers 37‑46‑150
Joint action entity 37‑46‑151
Correlative powers of political subdivisions
Green check means up to date. Up to date

Current through Fall 2024

§ 37-46-142’s source at colorado​.gov