2023 Montana Code Annotated › Title 85. Water Use › Chapter 7. Irrigation Districts › Part 21. Taxes and Assessments › 85-7-2114. Apportionment of costs when bonds issued

85-7-2114. Apportionment of costs when bonds issued.
(1) Whenever a petition for the issuance of bonds of any irrigation district established under the provisions of Title 85, chapter 7, part 1, has been filed as provided in 85-7-2012 through 85-7-2015, the board of commissioners of the district shall examine or cause to be examined each 40-acre tract or fractional lot as designated by United States public survey or platted lot, if land is subdivided in lots and blocks, or whenever land is owned in less than 40-acre tracts or in less than the platted lot, each tract of land in the district or of land in a subdistrict if the bonds are to be issued on behalf of the subdistrict and cause a careful topographical survey and map to be made in the manner provided for in 85-7-2107. Upon the examination, the board shall determine the number of irrigable acres in each tract and shall apportion and distribute the cost of the works or improvements for which the bonds are to be issued over the tracts within the district or subdistrict according to the irrigable area in each of the tracts or subdivisions so that each irrigable acre is required to bear the same burden of the costs as each other irrigable acre in the district or subdistrict, except as otherwise provided by law. The special tax or assessment levied to meet the principal of and interest on the bonds is a lien upon the entire tract of which the irrigable area forms a part or portion as of January 1 of the year in which the special tax or assessment is levied, and the number of irrigable acres in each tract so determined may not be diminished but may be increased during the term for which the bonds are issued or until the bonds are liquidated in full.
(2) Whenever a proceeding for the determination, in whole or in part, of the irrigable area of the lands in the district or subdistrict has already been had or a topographical survey or maps of the lands prepared or a court confirmation of prior proceedings, in part or in full, the board may, in its discretion, adopt all or portions of the prior proceedings and need not cause an additional survey or maps or examination of any of the tracts to be made or redetermine the irrigable area of any tract.
(3) The board shall make the determination after the hearing and shall fix the total acreage and the irrigable acreage and prepare a list of the irrigable area for filing, and the proceedings of the board in connection with the determination, including the hearing and notice of the hearing and order or resolution fixing the irrigable area and the preparation and filing of the list, must conform to the requirements set forth in 85-7-2107 through 85-7-2113. At the hearing, the board shall also determine the amount and rate per acre necessary to be levied against each irrigable acre in the district to meet the interest on and principal of the authorized bond issue. The tax levied is a lien upon the entire tract of which the irrigable area forms a part. If a landowner in the district or subdistrict appears before the board at that time and pays in cash the amount fixed against the landowner's land as its proportion of the amount found necessary for the purposes for which the bonds were authorized and are to be issued, that land must be excluded from the lien of the bond issue and the amount of bonds intended to be issued must be reduced by the amount of the payment. A person interested who fails to appear before the board at the meeting may not contest the proceedings of the board or any part of the proceedings except upon special application to the court in the proceedings for the confirmation of the bonds and a showing of reasonable excuse for failure to appear before the board.
History: En. Sec. 20, Ch. 157, L. 1923; re-en. Sec. 7235.2, R.C.M. 1935; amd. Sec. 23, Ch. 388, L. 1975; amd. Sec. 33, Ch. 460, L. 1977; R.C.M. 1947, 89-1806(1) thru (3); amd. Sec. 30, Ch. 439, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 2796, Ch. 56, L. 2009.