SECTIONS 23240-23245 - California Statutes

WATER CODE

SECTION 23240-23245

23240. All payments to the United States under any contract between
a district and the United States, including payments of interest and
principal on bonds deposited with or transferred to the United
States, shall be paid, unless otherwise provided by the contract,
from revenue derived from annual assessments, apportioned pursuant to
this chapter, upon real property within the district assessable for
district purposes under the laws of the State, and the real property
shall be and remain liable to be assessed and levied upon for the
payments.

23241. The district by its board shall annually levy an assessment
sufficient to raise the money necessary to meet all payments when due
as provided in the contract.

23242. The assessment required in any year to meet the payment due
to the United States for all purposes under the contract may be
apportioned in accordance with the benefits. In the ascertainment of
the benefits there shall be taken into account:
(a) The provisions of the contract, the applicable Federal laws,
and the notices and regulations issued in pursuance of those laws.
(b) In addition, in case the contract is for the assumption by the
district as principal or guarantor of indebtedness to the United
States theretofore existing on account of district land, the
provisions of existing contracts carrying the indebtedness and the
amounts of the liens that may be released in pursuance of the
contract.

23242.4. Where a district makes a contract with the United States
for a supply of water or for the payment or repayment of construction
costs upon a reclamation project, and the United States has
theretofore made individual contracts with landowners or entrymen as
to land within the district, and such landowners or entrymen have
under such individual contracts paid all or a portion of the charges
to be paid to the United States upon construction costs or for a
water supply, the assessment required in any year to meet the payment
due to the United States for all purposes under the contract may be
apportioned in whole or in part in accordance with the benefits
received by such landowners or entrymen under the contract between
the district and the United States. In the levying of district
assessments upon the lands of such landowners or entrymen, the
amounts already paid by such landowners or entrymen may be taken into
consideration in the levying and equalizing of the assessments to
the end that such landowners or entrymen may not be required to pay
by way of assessment the amounts that such landowners or entrymen may
have already paid to the United States under individual contracts.

23242.5. The contract between a district and the United States may,
subject to hearing and equalization as provided herein, determine,
or provide for the method of computation of, the benefits accruing to
each parcel of land within the district from the agreement of the
district to pay the construction charges applicable to such lands to
the United States; and such determination or provision in the
contract may be amended from time to time.
If the district shall determine to apportion the assessment
required in any year to meet the payment due to the United States on
account of such construction charges in accordance with such benefits
it shall establish for each parcel of land an appropriate period of
years over which such benefits should be paid (which periods may be
different as to different parcels), and thereby determine the amount
applicable to the year in question. The annual assessment on each
parcel shall be equal to the amount so determined increased by such a
percentage as shall, in the opinion of the board, be deemed
sufficient to cover anticipated delinquencies.
The secretary shall thereupon include an announcement of
apportionment according to benefits in the notice provided for in
Section 25550. At the meetings of the board as a board of
equalization it may hear and determine objections to the assessment
and order any changes that it deems just. Within 15 days after the
close of its session as a board of equalization the board shall levy
the assessment, the secretary shall transmit a record thereof to the
collector, and thereafter the assessment shall be collected as in the
case of other district assessments.

23243. Public land of the United States within any district shall
be subject to assessment for all purposes of this chapter to the
extent provided for by the act of Congress approved August 11, 1916,
entitled "An act to promote reclamation of arid lands," or any other
law which may hereafter be enacted by Congress in the same relation,
upon full compliance therewith by the district.

23244. Nothing in this chapter relieves any district from its
obligation to pay as a district in case of the default of any land
unless so provided by the contract.

23245. All money collected in pursuance of the contract shall be
paid into the district treasury and held in a fund to be known as the
"United States Contract Fund" to be used for payments due to the
United States under the contract.