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267.390 Maintenance of improvements -- Maintenance assessments.
(1)
(2)
(3)
Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, all improvements made under this
chapter, as well as all public ditches or drains established or constructed under preexisting laws, shall be under the control and supervision of the board having
jurisdiction of the proceedings for the establishment and construction thereof. The
board shall keep all such improvements open, free from obstruction and in good
repair. For that purpose the board may employ persons and teams, and lease, rent,
hire or purchase machinery.
For the purpose of providing funds to pay the compensation of the employees of the
board, outside of that portion to be paid out of the original assessment on any
district, and for the purpose of paying the expense of repairing, keeping open and
looking after the various improvements under the charge of the board, the land in
each district established under this chapter, as well as the land assessed for each
public ditch or system of drainage established under pre-existing laws, shall be
assessed in proportion to the original assessment made against the land for the
original improvement, except that where a district has been established diverting the
course of water, the board may, in order to relieve land taxed and from which water
has been diverted, use funds of the district in maintaining the original watercourse.
(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection, no assessment in any one
(1) year for the purposes prescribed in subsection (2) of this section shall
exceed ten percent (10%) of the original assessment against the land, and no
more than one (1) assessment shall be made in any one (1) year.
(b) In counties having seventy-five (75) or more separate drainage districts or in
counties availing themselves of the provisions of this subsection as provided
in KRS 267.495, when a petition signed by a majority of the landowners in
any drainage district is filed with and approved by the drainage commissioner,
the latter may levy a maintenance assessment not exceeding thirty percent
(30%) of the original assessment against the land. The number of assessments
which may be levied shall be limited as follows: Where the assessment is ten
percent (10%) but not over fifteen percent (15%) no more than one assessment
may be levied during any eighteen (18) month period; where the assessment is
sixteen percent (16%) but not over twenty percent (20%) no more than one
assessment may be levied during any two (2) year period; where the
assessment is twenty-one percent (21%) but not over twenty-five percent
(25%) no more than one assessment may be levied during any two-and-onehalf (2 1/2) year period; and where the assessment is thirty percent (30%) but
not less than twenty-six percent (26%) no more than one assessment may be
levied during any three (3) year period.
(c) No assessment shall be made until the board has prepared an assessment roll,
in duplicate, stating the name of the owners of the land to be affected, and the
amount proposed to be assessed against each tract of land. Both the
assessment roll and the duplicate shall be signed by the president and secretary
of the board. The original shall be kept on file in the office of the board and
the duplicate shall be filed with the collector of the assessment. These
(4)
additional assessments shall have the same effect as original assessments and
be collected in the same manner. They shall be kept separate and deposited
with the treasurer, who shall keep the accounts for each district separate. Each
warrant drawn shall specify out of which account it shall be paid.
The board may compromise and settle, upon such terms and conditions as it deems
proper, any maintenance assessment made, levied or assessed prior to February 17,
1936, and may do everything necessary to release and discharge any claim, demand
or lien upon land established, made or claimed prior to February 17, 1936, under or
by reason of any such maintenance assessment.
Effective: June 21, 1974
History: Amended 1974 Ky. Acts ch. 386, sec. 54, effective June 21, 1974. -- Amended
1956 Ky. Acts ch. 235, sec. 4, effective May 18, 1956. -- Amended 1944 Ky. Acts
ch. 41, sec. 1. -- Recodified 1942 Ky. Acts ch. 208, sec. 1, effective October 1, 1942,
from Ky. Stat. secs. 2380-7, 2380-39.
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