A.  Benefit special assessments.  The board shall annually determine, order, and levy the annual installment of the total benefit special assessments for bonds issued and related expenses to finance district facilities and projects which are levied under this Chapter.  These assessments may be due and collected during each year that parish taxes are due and collected, in which case such annual installment and levy shall be evidenced to and certified to the assessor by the board not later than August thirty-first of each year, and such assessment shall be entered by the assessor on the parish tax rolls, and shall be collected and enforced by the tax collector in the same manner and at the same time as parish taxes, and the proceeds thereof shall be paid to the district.  These benefit special assessments shall be a lien on the property against which assessed until paid and shall be enforceable in like manner as parish taxes. The amount of the assessment for the exercise of the district’s powers under La. Rev. Stat. 33:9039.19 and 9039.20 shall be determined by the board based upon a report of the district’s engineer and assessed by the board upon such lands, which may be part or all of the lands within the district benefited by the improvement, apportioned between benefited lands in proportion to the benefits received by each tract of land.  The district, in its discretion, may use the method prescribed in La. Rev. Stat. 33:3689.7 for collecting and enforcing benefit special assessments.

B.  Maintenance special assessments.  To maintain and preserve the facilities and projects of the district, the board shall levy a maintenance special assessment. This assessment may be evidenced to and certified to the assessor by the board of supervisors not later than August thirty-first of each year and shall be entered by the assessor on the parish tax rolls and shall be collected and enforced by the tax collector in the same manner and at the same time as parish taxes, and the proceeds therefrom shall be paid to the district.  These maintenance special assessments shall be a lien on the property against which assessed until paid and shall be enforceable in like manner as parish taxes.  The amount of the maintenance special assessment for the exercise of the district’s powers under La. Rev. Stat. 33:9039.19 and 9039.20 shall be determined by the board based upon a report of the district’s engineer and assessed by the board upon such lands, which may be all of the lands within the district benefited by the maintenance thereof, apportioned between the benefited lands in proportion to the benefits received by each tract of land.  The district, in its discretion, may use the method prescribed in La. Rev. Stat. 33:3689.7 for collecting and enforcing maintenance assessments.

C.  Assessments constitute liens; collection.  Benefit special assessments and maintenance special assessments authorized by this Section shall be levied and payable in annual installments for each year for which bonds secured by the assessment are outstanding.  The tax collector shall collect and enforce assessments in the same manner and at the same time as ad valorem taxes.  Benefit special assessments and maintenance special assessments shall constitute a lien on the property against which assessed until paid and shall be on a parity with the lien of state, parish, municipal, and school board taxes.

D.  Compensation for tax assessor and tax collector.  The tax assessor and tax collector are entitled to reasonable compensation for preparing the rolls and collecting the assessments.

E.  District assessments.  District assessments may be made payable in no more than thirty yearly installments.

Acts 2001, No. 992, §1.