Sec. 2. P&SL 1971, c. 143, §17, is amended by adding after the first paragraph the following new paragraphs to read:

In order to establish a higher debt limit for the district, the trustees shall propose a new debt limit for the district, which the trustees shall submit for approval at a meeting of the district.__The district meeting must be called, advertised and conducted according to section 16 of this Act.__If the proposed increase in the district's debt limit is approved at the district meeting, the district shall, within 10 days of the approval, mail notice of the approval to each of the district's ratepayers and publish a notice once in a newspaper of general circulation within the district.__If within 30 days of the mailing or publication, whichever is later, no fewer than 10% of the ratepayers of the district file a petition with the district requesting the question to be submitted to the voters of the district for approval in a referendum election, then the trustees shall submit the question for approval in a districtwide referendum.__The referendum must be called, advertised and conducted by the Town of Winterport according to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 30-A, section 2528, except that the district is responsible for calling and holding the public hearing prior to the election and that the registrar of voters is not required to prepare or the town clerk to post a new list of voters.__For the purpose of registering voters, the registrar of voters must be in session on the regular workday preceding the election.__The town clerk of the Town of Winterport shall prepare the required ballots with the following question:

"Do you favor changing the debt limit of the Winterport Sewerage District from (insert current debt limit) to (insert proposed debt limit)?"

The voters shall indicate by a cross or check mark placed against the word "Yes" or "No" their opinion on the question.

The results must be declared by the municipal officers of the Town of Winterport and due certificate of the results filed by the town clerk with the Secretary of State.

A debt limit proposal becomes effective immediately upon expiration of the 30-day time period described in this section, unless a petition is timely filed, in which case the debt limit proposal becomes effective immediately upon its acceptance by a majority of the legal voters within the district voting at the election.__Failure of approval by the necessary majority of

voters at the referendum does not prevent subsequent referenda from being held for the same purpose.__The district may increase its debt limit to any amount or as often as approved pursuant to this section.

Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this Act takes effect when approved.

SUMMARY

This bill amends the Charter of the Winterport Sewerage District by increasing the debt limit from $200,000 to $1,200,000. The bill also amends the charter by adding language that allows any subsequent debt changes to be made by referendum.