1. 1. The management of the business and affairs of the district is hereby vested in a board of directors, who shall have all the powers conferred upon the district except as herein otherwise provided, who shall serve without pay. It shall be composed of five members, each of whom shall be a voter of the district and shall have resided in said district one whole year immediately prior to his election. A member shall be at least twenty-five years of age and shall not be delinquent in the payment of taxes at the time of his election. Except as provided in subsection 2 of this section, the term of office of a member of the board shall be three years. The remaining members of the board shall appoint a qualified person to fill any vacancy on the board. If no qualified person who lives in the subdistrict for which there is a vacancy is willing to serve on the board, the board may appoint an otherwise qualified person, who lives in the district but not in the subdistrict in which the vacancy exists to fill such vacancy.
2. 2. The initial members of the board shall be appointed by the circuit court and one shall serve until the immediately following first Tuesday after the first Monday in June, two shall serve until the first Tuesday after the first Monday in June on the second year following their appointment and the remaining appointees shall serve until the first Tuesday after the first Monday in June on the third year following their appointment. On the expiration of such terms and on the expiration of any subsequent term, elections shall be held as otherwise provided by law, and such elections may be held in April pursuant to section 247.180.

(RSMo 1939 § 12625, A.L. 1978 H.B. 971, A.L. 1982 S.B. 526, A.L. 1989 S.B. 98, A.L. 1990 H.B. 1230, A.L. 1991 H.B. 619)