§45-8A-110. Annexation based on resolution of public health or public good; elections.

(a) Whenever the council of the City of Oxford shall pass a resolution to the effect that the public health or public good requires that certain territory (described in the resolution) shall be brought within the limits of the City of Oxford: (1) It shall be the duty of the mayor to certify a copy of such resolution to the Judge of Probate of Calhoun County and the certified resolution shall have attached thereto a plat or map of the territory proposed to be annexed, which certified resolution and plat or map shall be filed by the judge of probate. (2) Within 10 days from the date of the filing of such resolution, the judge of probate must make and enter an order upon the minutes of the court, directing and ordering an election to be held by the qualified electors residing within the territory described, not less than 20 days nor more than 40 days from the date of the making of the order. The judge shall give notice of the holding of such election by publication in a newspaper of general circulation within the City of Oxford, and if there is no newspaper of general circulation within the City of Oxford, then by posting notices at three public places in such municipality, which notice shall state the day on which such election is to be held, the voting place or places, the boundaries within which voters must reside to vote at the respective voting places, which must be within the territory proposed to be brought into the City of Oxford, and such notice must give a description of the territory proposed to be annexed, and must state that a map of such territory is on file in the office of the Judge of Probate of Calhoun County, open to the inspection of the public. (3) The judge of probate may designate as many places within the territory proposed to be annexed as he or she may deem necessary for the convenience of the voters and must designate the boundaries within which the voters must reside to vote at the respective voting places, and shall appoint three inspectors of election, two clerks, and one returning officer for each voting place, which inspectors shall manage the election at the respective voting places at which they are appointed as inspectors. (4) Each qualified elector who has resided within the boundaries of the territory proposed to be brought into the City of Oxford for three months next preceding the election, may vote at such election, but must vote at the voting place designated by the judge of probate for voters in the territory in which he or she resides. (5) The election to determine whether or not the proposed territory shall be brought within such corporate limits must be conducted in all respects as provided by the general election laws, and under the same sanction and penalties, except as changed by the provisions hereof. (6) The inspectors at the respective voting places must, as soon as the polls are closed, ascertain and certify the results of the election, at their respective voting places, to the judge of probate, and deliver the same to the returning officer, who must at once return the same to the judge of probate, and the judge of probate must canvass the return as made by the inspectors, and if it appears that a majority of the votes cast at the election were "for annexation," the judge shall make and enter an order on the records of the probate court adjudging and decreeing the corporate limits of the City of Oxford to be extended so as to embrace the territory described in the resolution and designated on the plat or map attached to the resolution, and must cause the certified resolution and the map and all orders or decrees or judgments to be recorded in the records of his or her office, and from the time of the entry of such order such territory shall be a part of and within the corporate limits of the City of Oxford. If it appears that a majority of the votes cast at the election are "against annexation" the judge of probate shall make and enter an order on the records of the court adjudging and decreeing that a majority of the votes at such election were cast against coming into the corporate limits of the City of Oxford and that the territory described and designated in the resolution and plat or map attached shall not form a part of or be embraced in the City of Oxford until it may thereafter be brought into the city as a part thereof. (7) The result of such election may be contested by any qualified elector voting at the election under the same provisions as are provided for contest of general municipal elections, making the City of Oxford the contestee. The City of Oxford shall pay all costs and expense incident to the election. (8) The plat or map filed with the certified copy of the resolution, as required herein, shall show accurately the territory proposed to be embraced within the corporate limits, including all subdivisions into lots, blocks, streets, and alleys within such territory, if any, and an accurate description by metes and bounds of the boundary of such territory, which territory must be contiguous to the boundary of and form a homogeneous part of the City of Oxford, but is not to embrace any territory within the corporate limits of another municipality. Proof of residence and qualification as electors of petitioners and of persons affected shall be made to the judge of probate, by affidavit or otherwise, as he or she may direct. When determining the ownership of the land within such boundary, the persons, firms, or corporations assessing the same for taxation shall be accepted by the judge of probate as prima facie the owners thereof. All territory brought within the corporate limits of the City of Oxford under the provisions of this section shall be subject to its laws and ordinances and the council shall have and exercise the same jurisdiction over such territory as is exercised over the other territory within the corporate limits of the City of Oxford. The council may create new wards or may enlarge the wards so as to embrace all the territory brought within the corporate limits of the City of Oxford so as to afford opportunity to all persons entitled to vote at elections in the City of Oxford to vote thereat. The judge of probate shall be entitled to the same fees for his or her services performed under the provisions hereof as he or she is authorized by law to charge and collect for similar services rendered by him or her, and all other officers shall be entitled to the same compensation for services rendered by them as they are authorized by law to charge and collect for similar services rendered by them, and the City of Oxford shall pay all cost and expense thereof except in the case of a contest as herein provided.

(b) Notwithstanding the fact that the City of Oxford may have extended its corporate limits under the provisions of this section, or any other law, it may again extend its corporate limits hereunder, or under any other law authorizing the extension of such corporate limits; provided however, that after an election has been held in any territory under the provisions of this section, or any other law, no other or subsequent election shall be ordered or held within the same territory, or any part thereof, within 12 months next after the election.

(c) In every proceeding to extend the corporate limits of the City of Oxford, under the provisions of this section, the Council of the City of Oxford, shall declare in each and every resolution herein provided for, and the judge of probate shall declare in each and every order directing and ordering an election to be held hereunder, and in every order made and entered on the records of the probate court hereunder, that such resolution, order, or notice, as the case may be, is passed, given, or entered under the provisions of this section.

(d) All property and territory brought within the corporate limits of the City of Oxford under the provisions of this section shall be liable for payment of taxes to the City of Oxford, from and after the commencement of the city tax year, commencing next after the judge of probate shall make and enter an order on the records of the probate court, adjudging and decreeing the corporate limits of the City of Oxford to be extended so as to embrace such property or territory.

(e) This section shall constitute an additional method by which the corporate limits of the City of Oxford may be extended, and shall be in addition to any other method now or hereafter provided by law.

(Act 95-251, p. 418, §§1-5.)