2021 Oregon Revised Statutes
Chapter 198 - Special Districts Generally
Section 198.705 - Definitions for ORS 198.705 to 198.955.


(1) "Affected county" means each county which contains or would contain any territory for which a formation or a change of organization is proposed or ordered or which contains all or any part of a district for which a change of organization is proposed or ordered.
(2) "Affected district" means each district which contains or would contain territory for which a formation or a change of organization is proposed or ordered.
(3) "Annexation" includes the attachment or addition of territory to, or inclusion of territory in, an existing district.
(4) "Change of organization" means the annexation or withdrawal of territory to or from a district, the merger or consolidation of districts or the dissolution of a district.
(5) "Consolidation" means the uniting or joining of two or more districts into a single new successor district.
(6) "County board" means the county court or board of county commissioners of the principal county.
(7) "Dissolution" includes disincorporation, extinguishment or termination of the existence of a district and the cessation of all its corporate powers, except for the purpose of winding up the affairs of the district.
(8) "District" has the meaning given that term in ORS 198.010 (2) to (4), (6) to (14), (17) to (23) and (25). In addition, "district" means any one of the following:
(a) A county road district organized under ORS 371.055 to 371.110.
(b) A county service district organized under ORS chapter 451.
(c) The Port of Portland created by ORS 778.010.
(d) A translator district organized under ORS 354.605 to 354.715.
(9) "District board" means the governing board of a district.
(10) "Formation" includes incorporation, organization or creation of a district.
(11) "Inhabited territory" means territory within which there reside 12 or more persons who have been registered to vote within the territory for at least 30 days prior to the date a proceeding is commenced under ORS 198.705 to 198.955.
(12) "Landowner" or "owner of land" means any person shown as the owner of land on the last assessment roll. However, if the person no longer holds the title to the property, then the terms mean any person entitled to be shown as owner of land on the next assessment roll, or, when land is subject to a written agreement of sale, the terms mean any person shown in the agreement as purchaser to the exclusion of the seller. "Landowner" or "owner of land" includes any public agency owning land.
(13) "Legal representative" means:
(a) An officer of a corporation duly authorized, by the bylaws or a resolution of the board of directors of the corporation, to sign for and on behalf of the corporation; and
(b) A guardian, executor, administrator or other person holding property in a trust capacity under appointment of court, when authorized by an order of court, which order may be made without notice.
(14) "Merger" means the extinguishment, termination and cessation of the existence of one or more districts by uniting with and being absorbed into another district.
(15) "Notice" includes an ordinance, resolution, order or other similar matter providing notice which ORS 198.705 to 198.955 authorize or require to be published, posted or mailed.
(16) "Principal Act" means the statutes which describe the powers of a district, including the statutes under which a district is proposed or is operating.
(17) "Principal county" or "county" means the county in which the district, or the greater portion of the assessed value of all taxable property in the district, as shown by the most recent assessment roll of the counties, is located at the time proceedings are initiated to form a district, but for any district formed prior to and existing on September 9, 1971, "principal county" or "county" means the county in which the district, or the greater portion of the value of all taxable property in the district, as shown by the most recent assessment roll of the counties, was located on September 9, 1971.
(18) "Proceeding" means a proceeding for formation or for change of organization conducted pursuant to ORS 198.705 to 198.955.
(19) "Uninhabited territory" means territory within which there reside less than 12 electors who were residents within the territory 30 days prior to the date a proceeding is commenced under ORS 198.705 to 198.955.
(20) "Withdrawal" includes the detachment, disconnection or exclusion of territory from an existing district. [1971 c.727 §1; 1981 c.804 §72; 1983 c.83 §7; 2003 c.14 §98; 2007 c.179 §6; 2007 c.562 §22c]

Structure 2021 Oregon Revised Statutes

2021 Oregon Revised Statutes

Volume : 05 - State Government, Government Procedures, Land Use

Chapter 198 - Special Districts Generally

Section 198.010 - "District" defined for chapter.

Section 198.115 - Barring district employees from membership on governing board.

Section 198.180 - "District" defined for ORS 198.190.

Section 198.210 - "District" defined for ORS 198.220.

Section 198.320 - Filling of vacancies on governing bodies of certain districts.

Section 198.335 - Definitions for ORS 198.335 to 198.365.

Section 198.340 - Designation of registered office and agent.

Section 198.345 - Effect of failure to file certain reports.

Section 198.350 - Financial statement.

Section 198.355 - Hearing on dissolution; notice.

Section 198.360 - Continuation or termination of district; proceedings for county service district.

Section 198.365 - County board as trustees for inactive district; distribution of assets; levy of tax to meet debts; delivery of records.

Section 198.425 - Recall of district officers generally.

Section 198.430 - Recall of officers of districts other than districts defined in ORS 255.012.

Section 198.440 - Statement of justification from affected officer.

Section 198.510 - Definitions for ORS 198.510 to 198.600.

Section 198.540 - Notice prior to adoption of ordinance affecting regulation.

Section 198.550 - Publication of ordinance; emergency ordinance procedure.

Section 198.560 - Filing of ordinance; notice of adoption of emergency ordinance.

Section 198.570 - When ordinances take effect.

Section 198.600 - Penalty for violation of regulations; jurisdiction; enforcement.

Section 198.605 - Local service districts.

Section 198.608 - Unfunded PERS liability or surplus upon split, consolidation or merger of districts.

Section 198.611 - Power of district to contract for purchase or lease of real or personal property.

Section 198.705 - Definitions for ORS 198.705 to 198.955.

Section 198.715 - Short title; procedure for formation or change of organization.

Section 198.720 - Boundaries; filing boundary change with county assessor and Department of Revenue.

Section 198.727 - Merger or consolidation; procedure when city joined to merged or consolidated districts.

Section 198.730 - Notice.

Section 198.735 - Right of interested person to appear; written statements.

Section 198.740 - Election procedure governed by law under which district operates; omission governed by district or general election law.

Section 198.745 - Content of resolution calling election.

Section 198.747 - Effective date of boundary change; filing boundary change with county assessor and Department of Revenue.

Section 198.748 - Prospective petition for formation; filing; content.

Section 198.749 - Economic feasibility statement for district formation.

Section 198.750 - Content of petition proposing formation or change of organization.

Section 198.755 - Number of signatures required.

Section 198.760 - Requirements for signers of petition; signer’s withdrawal prohibited; chief petitioners designated.

Section 198.765 - Requirements for filing petition; validity and certification of signatures.

Section 198.770 - Method of determining validity of landowner signatures.

Section 198.775 - Security deposit to accompany petition; payment of costs from security deposit; payment of costs by county or district.

Section 198.780 - Filing of duplicates of certain documents.

Section 198.782 - Documents to be filed with Secretary of State before business transacted.

Section 198.785 - Proceeding to contest validity of formation or change of organization.

Section 198.790 - Rights of creditors after change of organization; enforcement.

Section 198.792 - District formation or annexation proceedings to relieve public health danger.

Section 198.793 - Change of district name.

Section 198.794 - Effect of district name change; notification to certain officials.

Section 198.800 - Formation petition; hearing; notice of hearing.

Section 198.805 - Conduct of hearing; standards for formation; notice to nonappearing landowner; order for dissolution.

Section 198.810 - Order for formation; final hearing; election; voter approval to incur bonded indebtedness.

Section 198.813 - Formation of county service district for water management services in Washington County; dissolution of existing districts.

Section 198.815 - Election on formation; notice; ballot title when dissolution ordered; election of first board.

Section 198.820 - Order by county board; effect of formation.

Section 198.825 - Election of first members of board when no formation election required.

Section 198.830 - Petition for formation by all landowners in proposed district.

Section 198.835 - Order for formation of district in single county; order for exercise of additional function by county service district; contents of order.

Section 198.850 - Annexation petition or resolution; delayed effective date for certain annexations.

Section 198.855 - Annexation election; annexation without election when petition signed by all landowners or by majority of electors and owners of more than half of land.

Section 198.857 - Annexation without election by petition of landowner.

Section 198.860 - Effect of annexation order; debt distribution plan; permanent rate limit and local option taxes.

Section 198.866 - Annexation of city to district; approval of annexation proposal; election.

Section 198.867 - Approval of annexation to district by electors of city and district; certification; effect of annexation.

Section 198.870 - Petition for withdrawal of property from district.

Section 198.875 - Election on withdrawal petition.

Section 198.882 - Tax relief to withdrawn area; conditions for relief; ultimate liability.

Section 198.885 - Merger of districts; effect.

Section 198.890 - Consolidation of districts; effect.

Section 198.895 - Initiation of merger and consolidation; procedure when city included in merger or consolidation.

Section 198.900 - Content of petition for annexation, merger or consolidation.

Section 198.903 - Joint assembly of governing bodies of affected districts or cities; order for election; contents.

Section 198.910 - Joint meeting of governing bodies of merged or consolidated districts and cities; election of board members for surviving or successor district; terms.

Section 198.912 - Apportionment of board members for certain surviving or successor districts.

Section 198.920 - Dissolution procedure.

Section 198.925 - Findings of fact by district board.

Section 198.927 - Annexation of dissolved district.

Section 198.935 - Election on dissolution; consent of creditors; content of notice.

Section 198.940 - Dissolution without election.

Section 198.945 - Trustees for dissolved district; records to county clerk; limitation on further elections.

Section 198.950 - Power of trustees to convey assets.

Section 198.955 - Disposition of assets; rules.