The district may be consolidated with the Southern California Rapid Transit District organized and operating pursuant to Part 3 (commencing with Section 30000) of this division, in the manner provided in this chapter.

Whenever the board finds and determines that:

will receive; the board shall thereafter negotiate an agreement with the annexing district specifying the terms and conditions of annexation and such other matters as are necessary and incidental thereto.

The board shall thereafter, by resolution setting forth the terms and conditions of the proposed contract at length, declare its intention to cause the agreement to be approved and effect consolidation of the district with the Southern California Rapid Transit District.

The resolution, together with a notice fixing the time and place for hearing thereon, shall be published once in a newspaper of general circulation published in the district. The time fixed for hearing shall not be less than 30 nor more than 60 days from the date of publication of such notice.

At the hearing any interested person may file with the board written objections to the approval of the terms and conditions of the proposed contract or the consolidation, or both the proposed contract and the consolidation.

Upon the hearing, the board shall determine whether or not the terms and conditions of the contract will be approved and the consolidation effected, and shall hear and determine all objections thereto.

Any hearing on the agreement and consolidation may be adjourned from time to time by the board, not exceeding 30 days in all, without further notice other than an order entered upon the minutes of the meeting fixing the time and place of adjournment.

If no protests are filed, or if the protests filed are overruled and denied by the board, the board shall thereupon by resolution finally approve the terms and conditions of the agreement and proceed with the consolidation.

At any time after the board of directors of the district has finally approved the agreement the Board of Supervisors of San Diego County shall cause an election to be held in the district to determine whether the San Diego County Transit District will be consolidated with the Southern California Rapid Transit District upon the terms and conditions stated in the agreement.

Notice of election shall be published once a week for two successive weeks (two publications) in a newspaper of general circulation published within the district, and shall either state that a copy of the consolidation agreement is on file in the office of the Clerk of San Diego County, and open to the inspection of all persons interested, or set forth the terms and conditions of the consolidation agreement at length, in the discretion of the board of supervisors calling the election.

The ballots for the election shall contain substantially the instructions required to be printed on ballots for use at general state and county elections and in addition shall set forth the proposition of consolidation substantially as follows:

If upon a canvass of the election it is found that a majority of all votes cast on the proposition at the election were cast in favor of the consolidation, the proposition and all of the terms and conditions of the consolidation agreement shall be deemed carried and approved by the voters.

If the proposition fails to carry, the result shall be entered upon the minutes of the Board of Supervisors of San Diego County.

If the proposition receives the vote of the requisite majority of voters, the Board of Supervisors of San Diego County shall enter in its minutes an order declaring the result of the election and shall thereupon cause the consolidation agreement to be executed by its duly authorized officers.

Upon receipt by the Southern California Rapid Transit District of a copy of the consolidation agreement properly executed by the district and San Diego County the board of directors of the Southern California Rapid Transit District shall pass a resolution declaring the San Diego County Transit District consolidated with the Southern California Rapid Transit District, and shall cause a certified copy of the resolution to be filed with the Secretary of State. From and after the date of filing of the resolution with the Secretary of State the consolidation of the San Diego County Transit District with the Southern California Rapid Transit District is

complete.

From and after the date of consolidation the board of directors of the Southern California Rapid Transit District shall levy upon all of the property in the former San Diego County Transit District such taxes, tolls, or charges as are necessary to provide funds for the payment of the indebtedness assumed by the former district or otherwise necessary to comply with the terms and conditions of the consolidation agreement, all in addition to the general district taxes authorized elsewhere in Part 3 (commencing with Section 30000) of this division to be levied and collected.

The validity of any consolidating proceedings shall not be contested in any action unless the action is brought within three (3) months after the completion of the proceedings.

Upon the completion of such consolidation procedure, the San Diego County Transit District shall be deemed to be dissolved. Thereafter, all property and assets of the district which are not subject to the negotiated contract pertaining to consolidation shall be distributed to the County of San Diego.