61-16.1-06. District budget - Financial report - Tax levy - Financing by special assessment

61-16.1-06. District budget - Financial report - Tax levy - Financing by special assessment. The fiscal year of the district begins January first and ends December thirty-first. The water resource board shall estimate the expenses of the district before October first of each year. Estimates of district expenses may include costs of rights of way, easements, or other interests in property deemed necessary for the construction, operation, and maintenance of any projects. The district budget may also include an amount necessary for future projects which are part of a master plan. In the year for which the levy is sought, a water resource board seeking approval of a property tax levy under this chapter must file with the county auditor of each county in the district, at a time and in a format prescribed by the county auditors, a financial report for the preceding calendar year showing the ending balances of each fund held by the water resource district during that year. Upon completion and adoption of a budget covering necessary expenses, the board shall send a copy of the budget to the county auditor of each county in the district. Each county auditor shall transmit the same to the board of county commissioners of that county. The board of county commissioners shall either disapprove the budget, amend and approve the budget as amended, or approve the budget as submitted and, if approved as amended or as submitted, the board shall, by resolution, levy and authorize and direct the county auditor to extend and spread upon the tax roll of the county or portion of the county in the district a tax not exceeding the limitation in section 57-15-26.6 in the same manner, and with the same effect, as general property taxes are extended and spread. Funds produced each year by the tax levy shall be available until expended, and if the tax levy in any year will not produce sufficient revenue to cover district expenses, a fund sufficient to pay the district expenses may be accumulated. The acquisition of rights of way, easements, and the construction, operation, and maintenance of a project in a district may, in the discretion of the water resource board, be financed in whole or in part by special assessments against property benefited by such project, or from revenues realized from general tax collections, or from net revenues to be derived from service charges to be imposed and collected for the services of the project, or any combination of such sources.