Section 73-20-12 - Directors; electionA. At the next regular local election held pursuant to the Local Election Act [Chapter 1, Article 22 NMSA 1978] after a watershed district is created, the board of supervisors of the soil and water conservation district involved shall cause an election to be held for the election of a board of directors of the watershed district. The board shall consist of five members. The first board shall determine by lot from among its membership two members to serve terms of two years and three members to serve terms of four years. Thereafter, as these initial terms expire, their replacements shall be elected for terms of four years. Vacancies occurring before the expiration of a term shall be filled by the remaining members of the board for the unexpired term. Two or more vacancies occurring simultaneously shall be filled by appointment by the board of supervisors. The board of directors shall, under the supervision of the board of supervisors, be the governing body of the watershed district.B. If the territory embraced within a watershed district lies within more than one soil and water conservation district, each additional soil and water conservation district having a minority of the land involved in the watershed shall be entitled to elect three additional directors. These additional directors after their election shall determine by lot one of their number to serve a term of two years and two a term of four years. Thereafter, their successors shall be elected for terms of four years. The representatives of each of these minority districts shall fill vacancies in the district's membership for the unexpired term.C. The board of directors shall annually elect from its membership a chair, secretary and treasurer. The treasurer shall execute an official bond for the faithful performance of the duties of office to be approved by the board of directors. The bond shall be executed with at least three solvent personal sureties whose solvency shall exceed the amount of the bond, or by a surety company authorized to do business in this state, and shall be in an amount determined by the board of directors. If the treasurer is required to execute a surety company bond, the premium of the bond shall be paid by the board of directors.D. The board of directors shall prepare and submit to the department of finance and administration such reports as it may require from among those required to be submitted by other political subdivisions.E. Each person desiring to be a director of a watershed district shall file a nominating petition with the proper filing office in accordance with the provisions of the Local Election Act, signed by ten or more qualified electors.1953 Comp., § 45-5-30, enacted by Laws 1957, ch. 210, § 12; 1973, ch. 332, § 6; 1977, ch. 254, § 50; 2003, ch. 228, § 4.Amended by 2018, c. 79,s. 163, eff. 7/1/2022.