September 10, 1889.

COUNTY ORGANIZATION.

Sec. 1. The several counties of the territory of Wyoming as they shall exist at the time of the admission of said territory as a state are hereby declared to be counties of the state of Wyoming.

Sec. 2. The legislature shall provide by general law for the organization of new counties, locating the county seats thereof temporarily and changing county lines. But no new counties shall be formed unless it shall contain within the limits thereof property of the valuation of two million dollars, as shown by the last preceding tax returns, and not then unless the remaining portion of the old county or counties shall each contain property of an equal or greater valuation, and no new counties shall be organized nor shall any organized county be so reduced as to contain a population of less than one thousand five hundred bona fide inhabitants, and in case any portion of an organized county or counties is stricken off to form a new county, the new county shall assume and be holden for an equitable proportion of the indebtedness of the county or counties so reduced.

Sec. 3. The legislature shall provide by general law for changing county seats in organized counties, but it shall have no power to remove a county seat of any organized county.

Sec. 4. The legislative assembly shall provide by general law for township organization, under which any county may organize, whenever a majority of all the legal voters of such county, voting at a general election shall so determine, and whenever any county shall adopt township organization so much of this constitution as provides for the management of the fiscal concerns of said county by the board of county commissioners may be dispensed with by a majority vote of the people voting at any general election; and the affairs of said county may be transacted by the chairman of the several township boards of said county, and such other as may be provided by law for incorporated cities, towns or villages within such county.

Sec. 5. In any county that shall have adopted a system of government by the chairman of the several township boards, the question of continuing the same may be submitted to the electors of such county at a general election in such a manner as may be provided by law, and if a majority of all the votes cast upon such a question shall be against said system of government, then such system shall cease in said county, and the affairs of said county shall be transacted by a board of county commissioners as is now provided by the laws of the Territory of Wyoming.

Sec. 6. Until the system of county government by the chairman of the several township boards is adopted by any county the fiscal affairs of said county shall be transacted by a board of county commissioners. Said board shall consist of not less than three and not more than five members whose term of office shall be prescribed by law. Said board shall hold sessions for the transaction of county business as shall be provided by law.

Sec. 7. The legislature shall provide by law for the election of such county and township officers as may be necessary.

• Substitution to Files No. 19 and 22 [Committee on County, City and Town Organizations] (introduced on 1889-09-10 00:00:00 - CREATE - e663069) [This document] [view current proposal at this moment]
  • None (introduced on 1889-09-10 00:00:00 - REPORT_PROPOSAL - e663073) [view current proposal at this moment]