Whereas, the Portland Water District is a public municipal corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State; and

Whereas, the trustees of the district to be elected from the City of Portland are elected at the city's regular municipal election, the date of which changed from May to November as a result of a ballot initiative adopted by the city's residents on November 7, 2000; and

Whereas, the district must amend its charter in order to conform to the change in the city's municipal election date, which amendment must be accomplished prior to May 2001 in order to avoid a premature expiration of the term of any trustee elected from the City of Portland whose term otherwise would expire in May 2001; and

Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, therefore,

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

Sec. 1. P&SL 1907, c. 433, §18, 2nd ¶, 2nd sentence, as repealed and replaced by P&SL 1997, c. 15, §2, is amended to read:

Trustees elected from the City of Portland are elected at the City of Portland's regular municipal elections in May November.

Sec. 2. Transition. The terms of trustees of the board of the Portland Water District serving on the effective date of this Act and elected from the City of Portland that would otherwise expire in May of any year are extended to the November election date of that year as established by this Act.

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