District supervisors; election and appointment; new

districts. A. The governing body of a district shall be composed of five supervisors who shall be residents of the district and shall be elected pursuant to the provisions of the Local Election Act [Chapter 1, Article 22 NMSA 1978]; provided, however, that two additional supervisors may be appointed to the governing body of each district by the commission in accordance with the provisions of the Soil and Water Conservation District Act. Four elected supervisor positions of each district shall be filled by landowners within the defined geographical area of their district. One elected supervisor position shall be designated supervisor-at-large, and the supervisor filling that position may serve the district without landowner qualification. B. In the first election of supervisors to serve a newly organized district, two supervisors shall be elected for terms of four years and three supervisors shall be elected for terms of two years. Thereafter, each elected supervisor shall serve a term of four years and shall continue in office until a successor has been elected or appointed and has completed an oath of office. A vacant unexpired term of the office of an elected supervisor shall be filled by appointment by the remaining supervisors of the district. Two or more vacant unexpired terms occurring simultaneously in the same district shall be filled by appointment by the commission. C. Appointed interim supervisors may continue to serve as appointed supervisors until their successors are elected at the next local election pursuant to the Local Election Act.