when in newspaper and by posting the district court of the county in which the principal office of the district is located for confirmation of all of the proceedings in respect to such local improvement in the manner prescribed in this act for the confirmation of other proceedings by the district, and upon the hearing before said court upon said petition any person interested may be heard Court action, and at such hearing the court may correct any error in the matter of the apportionment of benefits or in any of the proceedings. Upon the filing of such petition in court the judge of said court shall fix a time and place for the hearing thereof, giving notice of at least two weeks of such hearing Publication: by publication in a newspaper of general circulation published in the county and also by posting three copies of such notice at conspicuous points or places in the improvement district. Upon confirmation by the district court of the proceedings in respect to such local improvement, including all assessments of benefits, and upon the approval of the irrigation district bond commission and the certification of the state controller as provided for in the act creating the irrigation district bond commission the board of directors are empowered and shall negotiate the sale of the securities so authorized in the manner prescribed in this act for the sale of district bonds, and the proceeds of the sale thereof shall be deposited in a special fund to be designated "Improvement District No... Fund," and thereupon shall proceed with the improvement. That said bonds shall be issued in the name of the improvement district and when issued shall be a lien upon the lands included therein. For the payment of interest and the redemption of said bonds, notes or certificates of indebtedness, the board of directors shall levy annual assessments for the amount of for payment interest and the redemption of said bonds, notes, or certifi Improvement district fund Annual assessments of debt Certain cates of indebtedness upon the lands affected by said local improvement according to the assessment of benefits and the same shall be delivered to the secretary of the district and by him entered in the assessment book or books thereof and such assessment or assessments and the collection thereof shall thereafter take the same course as assessments of the district as in this act provided. Prior to the issuance of bonds, notes, or certificates of indebtedness authorized for the purpose of such local improvement, any person, firm or corporation owning land upon which a benefit has been assessed for may be made such improvement, may pay all or any portion of the benefit so assessed against said land, and upon said payment, such benefit so assessed shall be discharged to the extent of such payment, but no such payment may be made after the issuance of bonds, notes or certificates of indebtedness authorized to be issued in payment of such improvement except as provided by the district. All the provisions of this act where applicable shall apply to such improvement districts. payments before bond issue SEC. 19. Section 54 of the above-entitled act is hereby amended so as to read as follows: districts powers Section 54. In addition to the powers with which irriga- Irrigation tion districts are or may be vested under the laws of the state, vested with irrigation districts shall have the following powers: To additional cooperate and contract with the United States under the federal reclamation act of June 17, 1902, and all acts amendatory thereof or supplementary thereto, or any other act of Congress heretofore or hereafter enacted authorizing or permitting such cooperation, and to cooperate and contract with the State of Nevada under any laws heretofore or hereafter enacted authorizing or permitting such cooperation, for purposes of construction of works, whether for irrigation or drainage, or both, or for the acquisition, purchase, extension, operation, or maintenance of constructed works, or for a water supply, electric-power and -transmission lines, or for the assumption as principal or guarantor of indebtedness to the United States on account of district lands or for the collection of moneys due the United States as fiscal agents or otherwise. SEC. 20. Section 68 of the above-entitled act is hereby amended so as to read as follows: organized by this act Section 68. Nothing in this act shall be so construed as Districts to affect the validity of any district heretofore organized previously under the laws of this state, or its right in or to property, or not disturbed any of its rights or privileges of whatsoever kind or nature; but said districts are hereby made subject to the provisions of this act as far as applicable; nor shall it affect, impair, or discharge any contract, obligation, lien or charge for, or upon which it was or might become liable or chargeable had not this act been passed; nor shall it affect the validity of any bonds which have been issued but not sold; nor shall it affect any action which now may be pending. In such districts as have been heretofore organized, and in which directors of the various divisions thereof have been elected by the votes of the electors of the district at large, such elections are hereby confirmed. In the cases of any district or districts any portion of the proceedings for the organization of which were instituted under prior existing laws and completed under the provisions of this act, such district or districts shall be deemed to have been duly organized under this act, and the organization thereof is hereby confirmed. Any district organized under prior laws of this state may adopt and subject itself to all the provisions of this act by a unanimous resolution of its board of directors, and the organization of such district is hereby confirmed. The directors of any district heretofore organized and not divided into divisions may request the county commissioners to define and establish such divisions, and the commissioners shall forthwith define and establish divisions in such district as nearly equal in Certain words to be size as practicable and in number equal to the directors in said district. SEC. 21. Section 71 of the above-entitled act is hereby amended so as to read as follows: Section 71. The name of any district hereafter organized hereunder shall contain either the words "irrigation district," contained in "water conservation district," "water conservancy district," name of district Certain or "water improvement district." Any district heretofore or hereafter organized and existing, the name of which shall include the words "irrigation district," may change its said name by substituting for the word "irrigation" either the words "water conservation," "water conservancy," or "water improvement, or may change the entire name or designation of the district by filing with the board of county commissioners, with which the original petition was filed for the organization of the district, a certified copy of a resolution of its board of directors adopted by the unanimous vote of all the members of said board at a regular meeting thereof providing for such change of name; and thereafter all proceedings of such district shall be had under such changed name, but all existing obligations and contracts of the district entered into under its former name shall remain outstanding without change and with the validity thereof unimpaired and unaffected by such change of name. Public established [Senate Bill No. 80-Senator Cowles] CHAP. 172-An Act to enable counties to establish and maintain public hospitals, levy a tax and issue bonds therefor, elect hospital trustees, maintain a trainingschool for nurses, and provide suitable means for the care of such hospitals and of disabled persons. [Approved March 20, 1923] The People of the State of Nevada, represented in Senate and SECTION 1. Any county may establish a public hospital in the following manner: Whenever the board of county comhospital, how missioners of any county shall be presented with a petition signed by twenty-five (25) per centum of the taxpayers of such county or group of counties asking that an annual tax may be levied for the establishing and maintenance of a public hospital, at a place in the county named therein, and shall specify in said petition the maximum amount of money proposed to be expended in purchasing or building said hospital, such board of county commissioners shall submit the question to the qualified electors of the county at the next general election to be held in the county, first giving thirty (30) days notice thereof in one or more newspapers pub Question submitted to popular vote lished in the county, if any be published therein, or posting written or printed notices in each precinct of the county, which notice shall include the text of the petition and state the amount of the tax to be levied upon the assessed property of the said county, which tax shall not exceed two (2) mills on the dollar, for a period of time not exceeding twenty (20) years and be for the issue of county bonds to Bond issue provide funds for the purchase of a site, or sites, and the erection thereon of a public hospital and hospital buildings, and for the support of same; which said election shall be held at the usual places in such county for voting upon county officers, and shall be canvassed in the same manner as the vote for county officers is canvassed. The ballots to be used at any election at which such hospital question is submitted shall be printed with a statement substantially as follows: For a........ .....mill tax for a bond issue for a public Yes....... hospital, and for maintenance of same: No.......... { Form of ballot If a majority of the votes cast at such election on the proposition so submitted shall be in favor of said tax for such bond issue, the board of county commissioners shall levy the tax so authorized, which shall be collected in the same manner as other taxes are collected, and credited to the "Hospital Fund," and shall be paid out on the order of the Hospital hospital trustees for the purposes authorized by this act, and for no other purposes whatever. fund trustees. SEC. 2. Should a majority of all the votes cast upon the Five hospital question be in favor of establishing such county public hos- how chosen pital the board of county commissioners shall immediately proceed to appoint five (5) trustees chosen from the citizens at large, with reference to their fitness for such office, all residents of the county, not more than three (3) to be residents of the city, town or village in which said hospital is to be located, who shall constitute a board of trustees for said public hospital. The said trustees shall hold their offices until the next following general election when five (5) Terms of hospital trustees shall be elected and hold their offices, three (3) for two (2) years and two (2) for four (4) years, and at subsequent general elections the offices of the trustees whose terms of office are about to expire shall be filled by the nomination and election of hospital trustees in the same manner as other county officers are elected. office SEC. 3. The said trustees shall within ten (10) days after Organizatheir appointment, or election, qualify by taking the oath board of of office, and organize as a board of hospital trustees by trustees the election of one of their number as chairman, one as secretary, and by the election of such other officers as they may deem necessary, but no bond shall be required of them. The county treasurer of the county in which such hospital is located shall be the treasurer of the board of trustees. The treasurer shall receive and pay out all the moneys under No salary for trustees for board of trustees Moneys deposited in county treasury Board to appoint all employees the control of the said board, as ordered by it, but shall receive no compensation from such board. No trustee shall receive any compensation for his services performed, but he may receive reimbursement for any cash expenditures actually made for personal expenses incurred as such trustee, and an itemized statement of all such expenses, and money paid out, shall be made under oath by each of such trustees and filed with the secretary, and allowed only by an affirmative vote of all trustees present at a meeting of the board. SEC. 4. The board of hospital trustees shall make and By-laws, etc., adopt such by-laws, rules and regulations for their own guidance and for the government of the hospital as may be deemed expedient for the economic and equitable conduct thereof, not inconsistent with this act, or the ordinances of the city or town wherein such hospital is located. They shall have the exclusive control of the expenditures of all moneys collected to the credit of the hospital fund, and of the purchase of the site, or sites, the purchase or construction of any hospital building or buildings, and of the supervision, care and custody of the grounds, rooms or buildings purchased, constructed, leased or set apart for that purpose; provided, that all moneys received for such hospital shall be deposited in the treasury of the county to the credit of the hospital fund, and paid out only upon warrants drawn by the board of hospital trustees of said county upon properly authenticated vouchers of the hospital board. Said board of hospital trustees shall have power to appoint a suitable superintendent or matron, or both, and necessary assistants, and fix their compensation, and shall also have power to remove such appointees; and shall in general carry out the spirit and intent of this act in establishing and maintaining a county public hospital. The board of hospital trustees Meetings of shall hold meetings at least once each month, shall keep a complete record of all its transactions, and three (3) members of said board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. One of said trustees shall visit and examine said hospital twice each month and the board shall during the first week in January in each year file with the board of county commissioners of said county a report of their proceedings with reference to such hospital and a statement of all receipts and expenditures during the year; and shall at such time certify the amount necessary to maintain and improve said hospital for the ensuing year. No trustee shall have a personal pecuniary interest, either directly or indirectly, in the purchase of any supplies for said hospital, unless the same are purchased by competitive bidding. trustees Annual report Trustees shall not furnish supplies SEC. 5. Vacancies in the board of trustees occasioned by Vacancies, resignations, removals or otherwise shall be reported to the board of county commissioners and be filled in like manner how filled |