KRS 67.918: Question of unification to be submitted to voters -- Adoption of unification

plan after approval -- Prohibition against placing rejected plan on ballot for

five years.

(1) The question whether the unification plan shall be adopted shall be filed with the

county clerk not later than the second Tuesday in August preceding the day of the

next regular election. The plan shall be advertised at least once not later than ninety

(90) days before the regular election at which the voters will be asked to approv e or

disapprove the adoption of the unification plan.

(2) The question to be submitted to the voters shall read as follows:

"Are you in favor of unifying the city (or cities) of _____ and _____ County into a

single government according to the unification plan adopted by the Unification

Review Commission?"

(3) (a) Subject to the restrictions in paragraph (b) of this subsection, for the

unification plan to be adopted, it shall require both a majority of those

residents voting within the unincorporated area o f the county to vote in favor

of its adoption, and:

1. A majority of those residents voting within the city containing the

largest population in the county, based on the most recent decennial

census, to vote in favor of its adoption; or

2. A majority of th ose residents voting, pursuant to paragraph (b) of this

subsection, within cities that together contain at least fifty percent (50%)

of the population residing within the incorporated areas of the county,

based on the most recent decennial census, to vote in favor of its

adoption.

(b) 1. The votes shall be counted within each city to determine whether the

majority of voters within each city are in favor of the adoption of the

unification plan.

2. Each city where the majority of those voting are in favor of adopting the

unification plan shall participate in the unified local government, subject

to the requirements of paragraph (a) of this subsection.

3. Each city where the majority of those voting are not in favor of adopting

the unification plan:

a. Shall not participate in the unified local government;

b. Shall remain incorporated unless dissolved in accordance with

KRS 81.094 and shall continue to exercise all powers and perform

the functions permitted by the Constitution and general laws of the

Commonwealth of Kentucky applicable to the cities of the clas s to

which they have been assigned; and

c. Shall allow eligible voters within the city to vote for the chief

executive officer of the unified local government and the relevant

legislative body member or members of the unified local

government for the area including the nonparticipating city.

(4) The votes shall be counted, returns made, and canvassed in accordance with the

provisions of KRS Chapters 116 to 121 governing elections, and the results shall be

certified by the county board of election commission ers to the county clerk. If a

majority of those voting on the issue are in favor of forming a unified local

government, the county board of election commissioners shall enter the fact of

record and the unified local government shall be organized as provide d in the

unification plan.

(5) An adopted unification plan shall take effect January 1 following the election of

officers to fill elective offices created by the unification plan. Officers shall be

elected in the regular election in the next even-numbered year following adoption of

the unification plan.

(6) If the question whether the unification plan shall be adopted is rejected by a

majority of the electorate, the question is defeated and cannot be voted on again for

five (5) years from the date of certification of the election results.