The formation process for most types of special districts is covered in Oregon Revised Statute (ORS) Chapter 198 – “Special Districts Generally.” Some types of districts have additional requirements for formation that are found in the district’s principal Act. Always check the principal Act for the specific type of special district being formed to determine if additional formation requirements are required.

The formation process may take as long as 12 to 24 months, depending on the type of district and whether the district will assess property taxes.

There are three methods that may be used to initiate the formation process:
1. Filing petitions signed by eligible electors (election requested by landowners or as otherwise required by law);
2. Filing petitions signed by property owners (consent by all landowners in the proposed district boundaries); or
3. By order of the Lane County Board of Commissioners for a district entirely within the county boundaries.

Persons wanting to form a special district (“petitioners”) must initiate the formation of a district by submitting a petition for formation with a description of the proposed district boundaries to Lane County. While the County has provided a sample form petition that may be used by petitioners to initiate the formation of a district, petitioners must complete the petition to initiate the formation of a district on their own and must otherwise comply with the requirements found in Oregon law.

Sample Prospective Petition and Signature Sheet

District Formation Flow Chart

Although the district formation process begins with filing a prospective petition with the County Clerk’s office, there are multiple departments within the County who play a significant role in the process. To better serve you, we created a district formation working group, and you may email the team here.