Title 7, Consolidated Governments and Local Governmental Functions and Entities

(a) Each county in this state whose voters have adopted a charter form of government and the principal city within its boundaries may create and establish a unified government to perform all of the governmental and corporate functions now, or hereafter authorized to be, performed…

When a charter commission shall be created pursuant to this chapter, no municipality shall thereafter be created in the county, unless and until the proposed charter shall have been rejected by voters in a referendum election as provided in this chapter, or unless and until a cha…

Any smaller city that has elected not to be initially included in a unified government created and established under this chapter may at any time become a part of the unified government under such terms and conditions and by such methods and procedures as may be established in th…

(a) The initial step in the creation of a unified government shall be the creation of a charter commission. The charter commission may be initiated either by a proclamation of the chief executive officer of the county or by resolution of the county legislative body. Such proclama…

(a) It is the duty of the county legislative body to appropriate sufficient funds to defray the expenses of the charter commission, which appropriation shall be not less than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000). Such funds shall be disbursed by the fiscal officer of the county upon …

All public officials shall, upon request, furnish the charter commission with all information and assistance necessary or appropriate for its work.

(a) All meetings of the charter commission shall be held in compliance with the open meetings law, compiled in title 8, chapter 44. (b) The charter commission shall prepare and file the charter proposed by it not later than the date provided in the proclamations or resolutions cr…

(a) After a copy of the proposed charter has been certified to the county election commission and the proposed charter has been, in all respects, qualified to be submitted to the voters of the principal city and to the voters of the county outside the principal city, including an…

(a) The name of the unified government shall be such name as the charter commission shall deem historically and geographically appropriate. (b) The proposed charter shall provide for the effective date of the unified government. (c) The proposed charter shall provide for a single…

(a) (1) Any unified government created and established under this chapter shall possess all powers, rights, obligations, duties and privileges to provide electricity, natural gas, water, wastewater, solid waste disposal, recycling, energy production or any other utility service a…

(a) Any unified government created and established pursuant to this chapter may at any time assume and take over the utility services provided within its county by any utility service provider created, authorized or owned by any private or public entity located outside such count…

(a) (1) Notwithstanding anything in this part to the contrary, no unified government may take over, assume or acquire any powers, rights, obligations, duties and privileges with respect to any utility service created, authorized or owned by a smaller city not electing to merge in…

(a) Any unified government created and established under this title shall possess all powers, rights, obligations, duties and privileges of county and municipal governments not prohibited by general law or its charter; and, without the necessity or formality of deed, bill of sale…

On or before December 31 of the first calendar year following a year of federal decennial census, it is the duty of the legislative branch of the unified government to reapportion or redistrict the seats of the legislative branch and the seats of the board of education of the uni…

(a) Any unified government created and established pursuant to this chapter shall be authorized and empowered, through its legislative branch, to levy every tax that a county or municipality is now authorized to levy or may hereafter be authorized to levy. (b) Any tax created, as…

The legislative branch of the unified government may establish and name such special service districts, as in its judgment, may be necessary or appropriate for the exercise within such district of any one (1) or more of the public corporation rights or powers of the unified gover…

Any unified government created and established pursuant to this chapter may issue bonds under such terms, conditions and limitations as may be prescribed by general law and the charter.

The creation and establishment of unified government under this chapter shall not alter the status of the county, any unified municipality or any smaller city not electing to be included in the unified government as to the legality of the manufacture, receipt, sale, storage, tran…

The creation and establishment of a unified government under this chapter shall not alter or change zoning regulations effective in the county and in the unified municipalities, but the zoning regulations shall continue until modified or changed by the legislative branch of the u…

This chapter shall not apply to counties having a metropolitan form of government pursuant to chapters 1-8 of this title, or to counties having a county charter form of government, pursuant to title 5, chapter 1, part 2, where the county charter prohibits consolidated government.