(1) Except as provided in subsection (b), after a district has been located and established as provided, the county legislative body shall appoint two (2) directors, or in its discretion, four (4) directors of the district, who shall be owners of lands, or interested in lands, in the district, and at least one (1) of those first appointed to be one of the petitioners for the establishment of the district or a petitioner's successor in estate or interest, the directors to hold their offices for two (2) years from the date of appointment. These two (2) or four (4) thus appointed and their successors, together with the county mayor, shall constitute the directors, or board of directors, of such district, and as directors shall have the general control and management of the business affairs of the district and supervision of the district, and be vested with power to make contracts, for all improvement to be done in the district.
(2) In any county having a population of not less than thirty-four thousand eight hundred fifty (34,850) nor more than thirty-five thousand (35,000), according to the 1990 federal census or any subsequent federal census, the county legislative body may, in its discretion, appoint six (6) directors of the drainage district. If the county legislative body elects, in its discretion, to appoint six (6) such directors, the directors shall otherwise comply with all the requirements governing directors of drainage districts set out in subsection (a).