2023 Montana Code Annotated › Title 7. Local Government › Chapter 2. Creation, Alteration, and Abandonment of Local Governments › Part 27. Abandonment and Consolidation of Counties › 7-2-2730. Establishment of special warrant district or special funding bond district in continuing county

7-2-2730. Establishment of special warrant district or special funding bond district in continuing county.
(1) After all warrants have been drawn and issued against the funds of the adjoining county, referred to in 7-2-2729, to pay the claims and demands existing against the adjoining county on the date when the territory of the abandoned and abolished county was attached to the adjoining county, all money in the funds of the adjoining county must be used and applied in payment of the warrants drawn against its respective funds. If that money is not sufficient to pay all of the warrants, with the interest on the warrants, then the board of county commissioners shall make an order creating a special warrant district and shall include within the district all of the territory of the adjoining county but may not include in the district any of the territory of the abandoned and abolished county. The board of county commissioners shall, subject to 15-10-420, at the time of making levies for county purposes, levy a special tax against all taxable property in the district to pay the warrants, with interest on the warrants, outstanding against the funds of the adjoining county. The board may extend the tax levy over a period of not more than 3 years.
(2) (a) If it appears to the board that it will require too large a tax levy to pay the warrant indebtedness, with interest, within 3 years, the board, instead of creating a special warrant district, shall create and establish a special funding bond district and shall include within the boundaries of the district all of the territory within the adjoining county but may not include in the district any of the territory of the abandoned and abolished county attached to the adjoining county. After all money in the several funds of the adjoining county applicable to payment of the warrants has been applied in payment of the outstanding warrants and interest on the warrants, the board may issue bonds in an amount sufficient to pay and redeem all warrants remaining outstanding, with interest on the warrants. An election is not required to issue the bonds.
(b) The bonds must be issued in the name of the adjoining county and must contain recitals to the effect that the principal and interest of the bonds will be paid by tax levies against the property situated within the boundaries of the adjoining county as the boundaries existed before the territory of the abandoned and abolished county was attached to the adjoining county and that none of the property within the territory of the abandoned and abolished county will be subjected to the levies. Except as otherwise provided in this section, the bonds must be issued and sold and tax levies must be fixed and made to pay the principal and interest on the bonds in the manner provided by 7-7-107, 7-7-108, 7-7-123, 7-7-124, 7-7-2104, 7-7-2106, and parts 22 and 23 of chapter 7, as far as applicable, apply to the bonds.
(3) For the purposes of 15-10-420, the adjoining county and the abandoned and abolished county are considered separate taxing jurisdictions with relation to the warrants or bonds described in this section.
History: En. Sec. 18, Ch. 105, L. 1937; R.C.M. 1947, 16-4018(a), (b); amd. Sec. 5, Ch. 370, L. 1987; amd. Sec. 8, Ch. 574, L. 2001.