N.M. Stat. § 3-33-14.1
Imposition of improvement district property tax;
limitations.
A. If in connection with the creation of the improvement district the governing body
determines that it is in the best interest of the municipality to finance the district
improvements by the imposition of an improvement district property tax and the
issuance of improvement district general obligation bonds, the governing body shall
enact an ordinance making the determination and provide in the ordinance the
improvement district property tax rate to be imposed; the date, which may be a
predetermined date or a date to be established in the future after completion of the
improvements, of commencement of the tax; the amount of the bonds to be issued to
finance the improvements; and any other matters the governing body deems necessary
or appropriate. The governing body shall call an election within the improvement district
for the purpose of authorizing the governing body to issue general obligation bonds, the
proceeds of the sale of which shall be used for constructing the improvements for which
the district was created and to impose improvement district property taxes on all taxable
property within the district for the purpose of paying the principal, debt service and other
expenses incidental to the issuance and sale of the bonds. The election shall be
conducted as prescribed by the Local Election Act [Chapter 1, Article 22 NMSA 1978]
and pursuant to the requirements of the property tax division of the taxation and
revenue department.
B. If at the election described in Subsection A of this section the property tax
imposition and the issuance of improvement district general obligation bonds are
approved by a majority of the voters voting on the issues, the governing body shall
impose the tax at a rate sufficient to pay the debt service on the bonds and retire them
at maturity.
C. Imposition and collection of the improvement district property tax authorized in
this section shall be made at the same time and in the same manner as impositions and
collections of property taxes for use by municipalities and counties are made.
D. Bonds issued by the governing body for payment of the specified improvement
district improvements shall be sold at a price that does not result in a net effective
interest rate exceeding the maximum net effective interest rate permitted by the Public
Securities Act [6-14-1 to 6-14-3 NMSA 1978]. The bonds may be sold at public or
private sale and may be in denominations that the governing body determines.
E. The form and terms of the bonds, including a final maturity of thirty years and
provisions for their payment and redemption, shall be as determined by the governing
body. The bonds shall be executed in the name of and on behalf of the improvement
district by the mayor and clerk of the municipality. The bonds may be executed and
sealed in accordance with the provisions of the Uniform Facsimile Signature of Public
Officials Act [6-9-1 to 6-9-6 NMSA 1978].
F. To provide for the payment of the interest and principal of the bonds issued and
sold pursuant to this section, the governing body shall annually impose a property tax
on all taxable property in the district in an amount sufficient to produce a sum equal to
the principal and interest on all bonds as they mature.
G. The bonds authorized in this section are general obligation bonds of the district,
and the full faith and credit of the district are pledged to the payment of the bonds. The
proceeds obtained from the issuance of the bonds shall not be diverted or expended for
any purposes other than those provided in Chapter 3, Article 33 NMSA 1978.
H. All bonds issued by an improvement district shall be fully negotiable and
constitute negotiable instruments within the meaning of and for all the purposes of the
Uniform Commercial Code. If lost or completely destroyed, any bond may be reissued
in the form and tenor of the lost or destroyed bond upon the owner furnishing to the
satisfaction of the governing body:
(1)
proof of ownership;
(2)
proof of loss or destruction;
(3)
a surety bond in twice the face amount of the bond and coupons; and
(4)
payment of the cost of preparing and issuing the new bond and coupons.
I. The governing body may in any proceeding authorizing improvement district
bonds provide for the initial issuance of one or more bonds aggregating the amount of
the entire issue or may make provision for installment payments of the principal amount
of any bond as it may consider desirable.
J. The governing body may issue bonds to be denominated refunding bonds, for
the purpose of refunding any of the general obligation bonded indebtedness of the
improvement district. Whenever the governing body deems it expedient to issue
refunding bonds, it shall adopt an ordinance setting out the facts making the issuance of
the refunding bonds necessary or advisable, the determination of the necessity or
advisability by the governing body and the amount of refunding bonds that the
governing body deems necessary and advisable to issue. The ordinance shall fix the
form of the bonds; the rate or rates of interest of the bonds, but the net effective interest
rate of the bonds shall not exceed the maximum net effective interest rate permitted by
the Public Securities Act; the date of the refunding bonds; the denominations of the
refunding bonds; the maturity dates; and the place or places of payment within or
without the state of both principal and interest. Refunding bonds when issued, except
for bonds issued in book entry or similar form without the delivery of physical securities,
shall be negotiable in form and shall bear the signature or the facsimile signature of the
mayor and clerk of the municipality. All refunding bonds may be exchanged dollar for
dollar for the bonds to be refunded or they may be sold as directed by the governing
body, and the proceeds of the sale shall be applied only to the purpose for which the
bonds were issued and the payment of any incidental expenses.
K. The principal amount of improvement district general obligation bonds that may
be issued by the governing body for any improvement district shall not exceed twenty-
five percent of the final estimated value of properties in the district after completion of
the projects to be financed with the improvement district general obligation bonds and
after development of the properties in the improvement district in accordance with their
planned use, as determined by the governing body with the assistance of the engineer
and other qualified professionals.
L. In connection with an improvement district project to be financed with the
proceeds of improvement district general obligation bonds issued pursuant to this
section, a property owner subject to the improvement district property tax or the
governing body may enter into contracts to design, engineer, finance, construct or
acquire a project with contractors and professionals, on such terms and with such
persons as a property owner subject to the improvement district property tax or the
governing body determines to be appropriate, without following the procedures or
meeting the requirements of the Procurement Code [13-1-28 to 13-1-199 NMSA 1978]
or the requirements of Sections 6-15-1 through 6-15-22 NMSA 1978.