2023 Montana Code Annotated › Title 7. Local Government › Chapter 6. Financial Administration and Taxation › Part 15. Resort Tax › 7-6-1542. Resort area district board powers related to resort tax revenue -- bonds -- election -- restrictions

7-6-1542. Resort area district board powers related to resort tax revenue -- bonds -- election -- restrictions.
(1) The board of directors may:
(a) appropriate and expend revenue from a resort tax for any activity, undertaking, or administrative service authorized in the resolution creating a resort area and adopting a resort tax;
(b) adopt administrative ordinances necessary to aid in the collection or reporting of resort taxes and in the expenditure of resort tax revenue;
(c) except as provided in subsection (2), if approved by four of the five board members, issue bonds to provide, install, or construct any of the public facilities, improvements, or capital projects authorized as provided in subsection (1)(a) and pledge for repayment of the bonds the revenue derived from the resort tax; and
(d) submit to the qualified electors of the resort area district the question of whether to levy the additional resort tax provided for in 7-6-1503(1)(b)(i) for infrastructure.
(2) Except for bonds pledging resort tax revenue raised from an additional resort tax levy for infrastructure provided for in 7-6-1503(1)(b)(i), a resort area district may not issue bonds to construct any single-purpose public facility, improvement, or capital project in an amount exceeding $500,000 without the approval of a majority of the qualified electors voting at an election conducted in accordance with Title 13, chapter 1, part 5.
(3) The provisions of 7-6-1506(3) apply to the issuance of bonds by a resort area district, and the board of directors shall conclude that the projected useful life of the public facilities, improvements, or capital projects will be greater than the term of the bonds that were issued to construct the public facilities, improvements, or capital projects.
(4) Resort tax revenue that is pledged by a resort area district to the repayment of bonds must be sufficient to pay the principal and interest on the bonds in each year when the principal and interest is due. Bonds do not constitute debt for the purpose of any statutory debt limitation. Except for bonds pledging resort tax revenue raised from an additional resort tax levy for infrastructure, a resort area district may not issue bonds pledging proceeds of the resort tax for repayment unless the board of directors in the resolution authorizing issuance of the bonds determines that the annual principal and interest payment on the bonds issued will not cumulatively exceed 25% of the average of resort tax revenue received by the district during the preceding 5 years. Bonds may not be issued for a term longer than the remaining duration of the resort area district.
(5) A resort area district may not commit cumulative annual debt service payments that exceed 70% of the revenue raised from an additional resort tax levy for infrastructure provided for in 7-6-1503(1)(b)(i). Debt service payments do not constitute debt for the purpose of any statutory debt limit. The additional resort tax levy for infrastructure may not be collected when the bonded obligation ceases unless the board submits and the qualified electors approve the additional levy for infrastructure as provided in 7-6-1504 and 13-1-501 through 13-1-505.
(6) Debt service payments may not be issued for a term longer than the remaining duration of the resort area district.
History: En. Sec. 12, Ch. 327, L. 1997; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 232, L. 2013; amd. Sec. 92, Ch. 49, L. 2015; amd. Sec. 5, Ch. 261, L. 2019.