Vacancies in the office of commissioners, or creation of new positions by increase of number, shall be filled by order of the court having jurisdiction, subject to the following:
(1) Ten (10) or more landowners against whose lands more than fifty percent (50%) in value of the assessment of benefits in a district is levied may, at any time, petition the court to remove a commissioner or commissioners and to appoint designated qualified persons as successors, and the court shall forthwith enter an order to that effect.
(2) In the event of expiration of term of office, removal, or vacancy from any other cause, and in the absence of a petition as specified in the preceding subdivision, the court, on petition of any number of landowners or by the remaining commissioners, shall enter an order making the appointments. It shall cause notice to be published once a week for two (2) weeks in a newspaper or newspapers having general circulation in each of the counties involved in the district of the entry of its order appointing named commissioners for specified terms. Such notice shall specify a time and place for hearing, which shall be not less than ten (10) days after first publication of notice, at which time objections to such appointments will be heard. At the hearing the court may confirm the appointments or appoint any other qualified person.