Section 3-33-14.1 - Imposition of improvement district property tax; limitations. - New Mexico Statutes

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 ordinance shall also include procedures for the conduct of the election based upon the size of the improvement district and the number of voters entitled to vote.   

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 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 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 [Chapter 55 NMSA 1978]. 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 [6-14-1 NMSA 1978]; 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 NMSA 1978] or the requirements of Sections 6-15-1 through 6-15-22 NMSA 1978.