Whenever a petition signed by the owners of more than one-half of the area of assessable land within the district requesting the removal of a commissioner is filed with the legislative body, it shall immediately remove him and appoint a new commissioner. The commissioner removed is ineligible to hold office as a commissioner of the district for one year following his removal. To secure the removal of a commissioner from a commission appointed under Section 31865, the petition shall be signed by the owners of more than one-half of the area of assessable land within each of a majority of the districts governed by the commission.