When the boards meet, a petition asking the county commissioners of all affected counties to approve the consolidation of the districts needs to be prepared. The petition requires the following information:
- The names of the existing districts
- The boundaries of the existing districts
- The request for a new consolidated district to be formed
- The name for the proposed district. The name should describe the territory of the proposed district, followed by the words “Public Library District.”
- The boundaries of the proposed district
- Spaces for the signatures of the board chairpersons.
To assure that the form of the petition will meet any legal challenge, it is recommended that the petition be checked by the library district’s attorney and if possible by the county’s attorney.
When the petition is approved by all the participating boards, it must be signed by the chairpersons of each participating board. A sample petition has been provided.
The petition is then sent to the county clerk(s) of all counties affected by the consolidation.