Section 11-10.3-01 - Multicounty combination of elective offices1. A county may combine any county elective office with one or more elective offices of one or more other counties for the purpose of sharing that combined office for the performance of functions and the provision of services among those counties. The procedures set forth in this chapter apply to the combination, unless a specific procedure for combining particular elective county offices is otherwise provided by law.2. A proposal for combining county elective offices may be accomplished: a. By the boards of county commissioners of each affected county by entering into a joint powers agreement incorporating a plan for the office combination, subject to the right of referendum in the electors of each of the counties; orb. By initiative of the electors of each affected county. A petition signed by ten percent or more of the total number of qualified electors of each county voting for governor at the most recent gubernatorial election may be submitted to the boards of county commissioners of each county, calling upon the boards to submit to the electors the question of adopting a plan described in, or annexed to, the petition.3. A joint powers agreement entered into between counties for combining the functions of any county elective office pursuant to subdivision a of subsection 2 may be referred to the qualified electors of an affected county by a petition protesting the agreement. The petition must be signed by ten percent or more of the total number of qualified electors of the county voting for governor at the most recent gubernatorial election, and filed with the county auditor, or functional equivalent of that office, before four p.m. on the thirtieth day after the agreement is adopted. Within ten days after the filing of the petition, the county auditor shall examine the petition and ascertain from the voter list whether the petition contains the signatures of a sufficient number of qualified electors. Any insufficiencies may be cured by the filing of an amended petition within ten days after the county auditor declares the insufficiency. The implementation of the terms of the joint powers agreement is suspended upon a determination by the county auditor that the petition was timely filed and contains the signatures of a sufficient number of qualified electors. The board of county commissioners shall reconsider the referred agreement and, if the board does not terminate the agreement in its entirety, shall submit the question to a vote of the qualified electors of the county at the next regular election. The county auditor shall cause the complete text of the agreement to be published in the official newspaper of the county, not less than two weeks nor more than thirty days, before the date of the election. The boards of county commissioners may, prior to the election, hold public hearings and community forums and use other suitable means to disseminate information, receive suggestions and comments, and encourage public discussion of the purpose and provisions of the plan. If a majority of the qualified electors voting on the question in the county approve the question, the plan incorporated in the agreement is effective and becomes operative according to the terms of the agreement as if the agreement had not been suspended. If the electors of either county do not approve the question, the plan does not become effective.4. The question of combination of the functions of elective county offices brought by petition pursuant to subdivision b of subsection 2 must be submitted by the boards of county commissioners to the electors in each of the affected counties at a primary or general election not less than sixty days nor more than two years, as specified in the petition, after the petition is determined sufficient by each board. The question on the ballot at the election must be framed in a manner that fairly and accurately describes the substance of the proposed office-sharing arrangement. The board of county commissioners in each affected county shall cause the complete text of the proposed plan for combining offices to be published in the official newspaper of the county, at least once during two different weeks within the thirty-day period immediately preceding the date of the election. The boards of county commissioners may, prior to the election, hold public hearings and community forums and use other suitable means to disseminate information, receive suggestions and comments, and encourage public discussion of the purpose and provisions of the plan. If a majority of the qualified electors of each county voting on the question approves of its adoption, the plan is effective according to its terms.5. One copy of the plan as approved must be filed with the district court for each county and one with each county auditor or functional equivalent to remain as a part of each county's permanent records. The boards of county commissioners may take any action necessary to bring about an orderly transition in implementation of the plan.6. A plan, or part of a plan, adopted pursuant to this chapter may be revised or terminated through another joint powers agreement or petition submitted pursuant to the procedure set forth in this chapter for adopting a plan, or pursuant to provisions for termination or revision provided in the original joint powers agreement.