{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-82-82-1324.16","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 82, § 82-1324.16","heading":"Term of office - Annual meeting - Elections - Training","body":"workshops - Nepotism.\n\nA. Except as otherwise provided by law:\n\n1. The term of office of every member elected to an original\n\nboard shall be until the date of the annual meeting of the\n\nparticipating members of either the first, second or third year\n\nfollowing the year of the incorporation of the district. Members\n\nshall serve until their successors are elected and have qualified.\n\nAs nearly as possible, the terms of an equal number of directors on\n\nany such board shall expire on each of the dates;\n\n2. The bylaws of the district shall specify the length of the\n\nterm of office of its directors, which term shall not exceed six (6)\n\nyears. At the annual meeting of each year after the year of the\n\nelection of the original board members, elections shall be held to\n\nelect directors to fill any position on the board, the term of\n\noffice of which has expired, and any director so elected shall hold\n\noffice until a successor is elected and has qualified. A director\n\nmay be elected to succeeding terms without limitation; and\n\n3. For the purpose of election of board members and for such\n\nother purposes as the bylaws may prescribe, annual meetings of\n\nparticipating members shall be held by each district each year\n\nfollowing the year of incorporation of such district. The board of\n\ndirectors shall cause notice of the time and place of each annual\n\nmeeting and the purpose thereof to be given to each of its\n\nparticipating members. Each participating member shall be entitled\n\nto a single vote, regardless of the number of benefit units to which\n\nthe member has subscribed.\n\nB. 1. A requirement for qualification to serve as a board\n\nmember for a rural water district or a nonprofit rural water\n\ncorporation shall be a written pledge that upon election such board\n\nmember shall attend a minimum of six (6) hours of workshop training\n\nto be offered periodically on a regional basis within twelve (12)\n\nmonths following election of such board member, and to be organized\n\nby the Oklahoma Water Resources Board in cooperation with the\n\nOklahoma Rural Water Association with the purpose of study and\n\ninstruction in areas of district financing, law, and the ethics,\n\nduties and responsibilities of district board members. Beginning\n\nJuly 1, 2001, all new and existing board members shall be required\n\nto obtain continuing education by attending a minimum of six (6)\n\nhours of workshop training every three (3) years.\n\n2. The district or corporation shall reimburse all reasonable\n\nexpenses incurred by any board member for attending such training\n\nworkshop.\n\n3. To avoid members having to interfere with their jobs or\n\nemployment, such training sessions may be divided into three-hour\n\nsegments, and insofar as possible be scheduled for evening sessions.\n\nTechnology center school facilities, college facilities or other\n\npublic facilities may be utilized in all parts of the state for\n\nconvenience of the members. Such workshops must be offered within\n\nseventy-five (75) miles of the members' residences.\n\nC. Should any pledging board member fail to attend the workshop\n\ntraining as required in subsection B of this section, he or she\n\nshall be deemed ineligible to serve as a board member commencing at\n\nthe next regularly scheduled meeting of the board following the\n\ntwelve-month period. The remaining board members shall select from\n\nthe membership, as provided by the district or corporation bylaws,\n\nanother qualified member to fill the vacancy and that person shall\n\npledge to attend the workshop training provided for in this section.\n\nThe appointed member shall only serve until the next regularly\n\nscheduled election of board members and an election shall be held to\n\nfill the unexpired term of the vacated position.\n\nD. Upon the election of a board member, the provisions of\n\nSections 481 through 487 of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes\n\nprovided for in this section.\n\nThe appointed member shall only serve until the next regularly\n\nscheduled election of board members and an election shall be held to\n\nfill the unexpired term of the vacated position.\n\nD. Upon the election of a board member, the provisions of\n\nSections 481 through 487 of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes\n\nrelating to nepotism shall not prohibit any employee already in the\n\nservice of the district from continuing in such service or from\n\npromotion therein. Provided, however, the board member related to\n\nthe employee shall be excused from the board meeting during any\n\ndiscussion of or action taken on any matter that could affect the\n\nemployment or compensation for employment of such employee.","path":["OK Code","Title 82"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os82.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"7b8cd4e6190926e254c328af28a7e9077224fd457e66fcfbcd475b38bc4a33f9","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-82-82-1324.15","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-82-82-1324.17"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}