House Bill 1473

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 19-5-191, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF A WATER, SEWER, GARBAGE DISPOSAL OR FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICTS MAY AUTHORIZE AN ASSESSMENT FOR ANY EXISTING PROJECTS OR IMPROVEMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE TO PROPERTY; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 19-5-191, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

19-5-191. (a) Funds for debt service for special improvement pollution abatement bonds, special improvement water bonds, or special improvement water and sewer bonds issued in lieu of or in conjunction with revenue bonds and/or tax-supported bonds shall be provided by charges upon the properties benefited according to procedures set forth in this section.

(b) So long as any special improvement bond authorized by Sections 19-5-151 through 19-5-207 shall remain outstanding, it shall be the duty of the board of supervisors, at the time annual county tax levies are made, to levy such assessments as are certified to them by the district as being due and payable at a stated time. It shall be the duty of the tax collector of the county in which the district lies to collect such charges and pay the funds collected to the board of commissioners of the district for payment to interest and principal and to the retirement of bonds issued by the district in accord with the maturities schedule pertaining thereto.

(1) Funds for debt service may be provided by charges assessed against the property abutting upon the sewer, or abutting upon the railroad and/or utility right-of-way, street, road, highway, easement or alley in which such sewer mains or water mains are installed according to the frontage thereof.

The board of commissioners of the district, after giving notice and hearing protests in the manner prescribed by Sections 21-41-5 and 21-41-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, shall by resolution spread upon its minutes define the services to be offered and the entire area to be benefited by each improvement; each such improvement may be designated as a project, or all such improvements may be designated as one project. However, if forty percent (40%) of the property owners or the owners of more than forty percent (40%) of the front footage of the property involved and actually residing on property owned by them and included within that part of any street, avenue, etc., ordered to be specially improved, or otherwise actually occupying property owned by them and included within that area designated as a project, shall file a protest, then the improvement shall not be made and the assessment shall not be made.

In addition, the board of commissioners of the district may authorize an assessment for any existing projects or improvements that have been made to property. The board of commissioners of the district, after giving notice and hearing protests in the manner prescribed by Sections 21-41-5 and 21-41-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, shall by resolution spread upon its minutes define the existing services offered and the entire area that was benefited by each improvement; each such improvement may be designated as a project, or all such improvements may be designated as one project. However, if forty percent (40%) of the property owners or the owners of more than forty percent (40%) of the front footage of the property involved and actually residing on property owned by them and included within that part of any street, avenue, etc., that was ordered to be specially improved, or otherwise actually occupying property owned by them and included within that area designated as a project, shall file a protest, then the assessment shall not be made.

The resolution shall direct that the cost to be assessed against each lot or parcel of land shall be determined by dividing the entire assessable cost of the project by the total number of front feet fronting on the street, easement or other right-of-way in which all of the mains embraced within the project are installed and multiplying the quotient by the total number of front feet in any particular lot or parcel of land fronting on the street, easement or other right-of-way in which sewer mains or water mains are installed. The result thereof shall be delivered by governing authorities of the district to the county board of supervisors as the amount of special tax to be assessed against each lot or piece of ground for the owner's part of the total cost of the improvements.

The resolution, at the discretion of the governing authorities of the district, may provide for the district to pay the assessment against any property abutting a sewer or water improvement, if the property whose assessment is being paid by the district is occupied by a contributor or consumer connected to the sewer or water system who is, or will be, paying service charges at the time the assessment roll maintained by the district is confirmed; provided, however, such payment shall not exceed an amount equal to that assessed against any one hundred twenty-five (125) feet of frontage of abutting property in a project.

The resolution may, at the discretion of the governing authorities of the district, provide for the district to pay the assessment against any property abutting a section of sewer main or water main designated as necessary and essential to the overall operation of such system or systems; provided, however, no service shall be provided to any such abutting property until and unless all such payments made by the district are repaid to the district by the owners of such benefited property.

(2) Funds for debt service may be provided by charges assessed against a lot or block in a recorded subdivision of land or by other appropriately designated parcel or tract of land in accord with the following procedure:

The board of commissioners of the district, after giving notice and hearing protests in the manner prescribed by Sections 21-41-5 and 21-41-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, shall by resolution spread upon its minutes define the services to be offered and the entire area to be benefited by each improvement; each such improvement may be designated as a project, or all such improvements may be designated as one (1) project. However, if forty percent (40%) of the property owners or the owners of more than forty percent (40%) of the front footage of the property involved and actually residing on property owned by them and included within that part of any street, avenue, etc., ordered to be specially improved, or otherwise actually occupying property owned by them and included within that area designated as a project, shall file a protest, then the improvement shall not be made and the assessment shall not be made.

Charges shall be assessed in accord with the provisions of Sections 21-41-9 through 21-41-21, 21-41-25 to 21-41-39, Mississippi Code of 1972.

The resolution providing for assessments under the provisions of subsection (c)(2) of this section, at the discretion of the governing authorities of the district, may provide for the district to pay the assessment against any lot or parcel of ground not exceeding one (1) acre in size, if such property is occupied by a contributor or consumer connected to the sewer or water system who is, or will be, paying service charges at the time the assessment roll maintained by the district is confirmed.

The resolution providing for assessment of benefited properties under this procedure shall provide for appropriate payment to debt service accounts by property owners not included in the original assessment roll but benefited by facilities installed with funds provided by such assessments at, or prior to, the time at which a nonassessed but benefited property is actually served by said facilities.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2005.