Article 8. Taxation of California Public Utilities Code >> Division 10. >> Part 9. >> Chapter 6. >> Article 8.

The district may levy, and collect or cause to be collected, taxes for any lawful purpose subject to a maximum limit of five cents ($0.05) per one hundred dollars ($100) of assessed value of all real estate and personal property; provided however, the district shall have the further power to levy, collect or cause to be collected, said property taxes to a maximum limit of ten cents ($0.10) if approval is first obtained from the City Council of the City of Santa Barbara and the Board of Supervisors of the County of Santa Barbara.

If, in the opinion of the board, the transit operation 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, in addition to the general tax levy as set forth in Section 96220, 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 as they become due a tax sufficient to pay the annual interest on the bonds and such part of the principal thereof as becomes due before the proceeds of a tax levied at the next general tax levy will be available. 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 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 shall avail itself of the assessments made by the assessor of the county and of the assessments made by the State Board of Equalization for the county and shall take such assessments as the basis for district taxation and have its taxes collected by the tax collector of the county.

In such case the county auditor shall, on or before the third Monday in August 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 96224 as equalized.

The board shall, on or before the first day in September, 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 auditor, 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, but the rate of taxation shall not exceed the limit imposed by this article.

The board shall immediately after fixing the rate of taxes as above provided transmit to the county auditor of the county 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.

Whenever any real property 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 treasurer 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 general fund. All taxes levied under this part are a lien on the property on which they are levied and shall become a lien at the same time as county taxes. 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 part so far as applicable.