Article 8. Taxation of California Public Utilities Code >> Division 6. >> Chapter 6. >> Article 8.

A district may levy, and collect or cause to be collected, taxes for any lawful purpose.

A district may impose a special tax pursuant to Article 3.5 (commencing with Section 50075) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 1 of Title 5 of the Government Code. The special taxes shall be applied uniformly to all taxpayers or all real property within the district, except that unimproved property may be taxed at a lower rate than improved property.

If, in the opinion of the board, the revenues will not be sufficient for any and all lawful purposes the board shall levy a tax for such purpose or purposes and fix the amount of money necessary to be raised therefor by taxation.

The board shall, at the time of fixing the general tax levy and in the manner provided for the general tax levy, levy and collect annually until the district's bonds are paid, or until there is a sum in the treasury of the district set apart for that purpose to meet all sums coming due for principal and interest on the bonds, a tax sufficient to pay the annual interest on the bonds and such part of the principal thereof as becomes due before the time for fixing the next general tax levy. If the maturity of the indebtedness created by the issue of bonds begins more than one year after the date of the issuance thereof, the tax shall be levied and collected annually at the time and in the manner aforesaid, sufficient to pay the interest on the indebtedness as it falls due and to constitute a sinking fund for the payment of the principal on or before maturity.

The taxes required to be levied and collected on account of interest, principal, and sinking fund of district bonds shall be in addition to all other taxes levied for district purposes, and shall be collected at the time and in the same manner as other district taxes are collected, and be used for no other purpose than the payment of the bonds and accruing interest.

Nothing in this division prevents the issuance of revenue bonds by a district for the entire district or any special district created therein under any provision of law permitting the issuance of revenue bonds by municipal utility districts.

The board may provide for the assessment, levy, and collection of taxes by the district, including the sale of property to the district for delinquent taxes, with penalties, interest, and cost.

The board may elect to avail itself of the assessments made by the assessors of the counties in which the district is situated, and of the assessments made by the State Board of Equalization for those counties, and may take such assessments as the basis for district taxation and have its taxes collected by the county officials if the board declares its election so to do by resolution or ordinance and files a certified copy of the resolution or ordinance on or before the first day of August with the auditors of the counties in which the district is situated. Thereafter, each year and until otherwise provided by the board, all assessments shall be made for the district by the State Board of Equalization and the county assessors, and all taxes shall be collected for the district by the tax collectors, of the counties in which the district is situated.

In such case the county auditor shall, on or before August 15th of each year, transmit to the board a statement in writing showing the total value of all property within the district, ascertained from the assessments referred to in Section 12897 as equalized.

In case the board elects to avail itself of the assessments referred to in Section 12897 it shall, on or before the first week day in September, or if such week day falls upon a holiday then on the first business day thereafter, fix the rate of taxes, designating the number of cents upon each hundred dollars, using as a basis the value of property transmitted to the board by the county auditors, which rate of taxation shall be sufficient to raise the amount previously fixed by the board. These acts by the board shall constitute a valid assessment of the property and a valid levy of the taxes so fixed.

The board shall immediately after fixing the rate of taxes as above provided transmit to the county auditors of the counties in which the district is situated a statement of the rate of taxes fixed by the board.

The district's taxes so levied shall be collected at the same time and in the same manner as county taxes. When collected the net amount, ascertained as provided in this article, shall be paid to the treasurer of the district, under the general requirements and penalties provided by law for the settlement of other taxes. The district may adopt the alternative procedure of tax collection and apportionment established by Chapter 3, Part 8, Division 1 of the Revenue and Taxation Code and any amendments thereof; provided, however, that the district may thereafter abandon said alternative procedure at the end of any fiscal year of the district.

Whenever any real property situate in any district which has availed itself of the provisions of Section 12897 has been sold for taxes and has been redeemed, the money paid for redemption shall be apportioned and paid to the district by the county treasurers receiving it in the proportion which the tax due to the district bears to the total tax for which the property was sold.

The compensation to be charged by and paid to any county for the performance of services under this article shall be fixed by agreement between the board of supervisors of the county and the board. The compensation shall in no event exceed one-half of 1 percent of all money collected for the district. The compensation collected by the county shall be placed to the credit of the county salary fund.

All taxes levied under this division are a lien on the property on which they are levied. Unless the board has by ordinance otherwise provided, the enforcement of the collection of such taxes shall be in the same manner and by the same means provided by law for the enforcement of liens for county taxes, all the provisions of law relating to the enforcement of the latter being made a part of this division, so far as applicable.