Whenever any rural fire protection, water or sanitary district becomes partially or wholly absorbed into a city which operates under a system of civil service for its employees, notwithstanding the civil service provisions of law or such city's charter, the governing body of the city may, at its option, provide for inclusion of any or all the employees of the district as employees of the city under its civil service system with or without civil service examinations, in a manner determined by the exercise of the sound discretion of the governing body.
ORS 242.050