A.  All drainage districts within the parish of St. Mary heretofore or hereafter created under the provisions of this Part shall have and are hereby vested with full power and authority, acting through their governing authorities, to:

(1)  Drain and reclaim lands in said drainage districts by the construction, maintenance and operation of gravity and forced drainage facilities, including canals, ditches, pumps, levees and other related works.

(2)  Incur debt and issue bonds for the purpose of constructing drainage works and acquiring the necessary lands, equipment and machinery therefor.  Said bonds shall be secured by and payable from ad valorem taxation and may be issued to an amount not exceeding ten percent of the assessed valuation of the taxable property of such districts in the manner provided for the issuance of bonds by other political subdivisions under Subpart A, Part III, Chapter 4, Title 39 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950 and other constitutional and statutory authority supplemental thereto.  Such bonds shall be issued only after being approved at an election ordered by the board of commissioners of the drainage district and held in accordance with the provisions of Part II, Chapter 4, Title 39 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950.  

(3)(a)  Levy special taxes on all the property within such drainage districts for the purpose of maintaining, operating, constructing, and improving the drainage works in such drainage districts in the manner provided by the constitution and laws of this state after having been authorized to do so at a special election held in accordance with the provisions of the constitution and laws of this state.  

(b)  Levy and impose a charge for the purpose of maintaining, operating, constructing, and improving drainage works within such districts, such charge to be imposed on a per acre basis, provided that prior to levying such charge, the governing authority shall give notice of intention by publication of a notice once a week for three consecutive weeks in its official journal, and shall thereafter hold a public hearing on the question of whether the governing authority should levy an acreage charge for the duration and in the amount set forth in the notice of intention.  In the event a petition is received in opposition to the levy bearing the signatures of fifty or more adult residents of the district, such levy shall not be authorized without the consent of a majority of the electorate voting at an election held in such district in accordance with the election laws of this state.  Any such charge authorized shall be levied by the governing authority of the district against each acre of land within the boundaries of the district, and the assessor of St. Mary Parish shall assess each parcel of property within the district and shall prepare an assessment roll in triplicate and shall provide a copy to the clerk of court and a copy to the tax collector of the parish and one copy to the governing authority of the district.  The acreage of each parcel may be determined by land surveying or may be determined by controlled serial photography and computer digitalization, performed in accordance with the United States National Map Accuracy Standards for photography at a scale of one inch to one hundred feet.  The charge shall be due and payable annually at the same time as property taxes and the charge shall be collected in the same manner as taxes are collected by tax collectors as set forth in La. Rev. Stat. 38:1635.  

(c)  As provided in La. Rev. Stat. 38:1635, all laws now in force or that may hereafter be enacted, providing for, regulating, and governing the collection of state and parish taxes and the creation of tax liens, penalties, methods, and procedures for sales for delinquent taxes shall also apply to regulate and govern the collection of the charges authorized to be imposed or levied under the provisions of this Part and the charges shall be collected through the sheriff and ex officio tax collector for the parish or parishes in which may be situated the lands of the district at the same time and in the same manner that he collects the state and parish taxes, and the revenues from the charges shall be by him turned over to the secretary-treasurer of the drainage district.  

(4)  Expropriate property for the purpose of acquiring sites for pumping stations and land for any other necessary public purposes of the drainage districts; provided, however, the drainage districts shall not have the right to expropriate minerals or mineral rights.  

(5)  Acquire machinery and maintain pumping plants or any machinery whatever that may be found necessary for the purpose of draining or reclaiming any of the lands embraced within the drainage districts.  

(6)  Cut and open any drains and canals and open, deepen and enlarge natural drains within or without the drainage districts and perform all work in connection therewith which may be deemed necessary to provide drainage for lands in the drainage districts, and perform all other acts necessary to drain the land in the drainage districts and maintain the drainage when established.  

(7)  To cooperate with and enter into cooperative agreements and arrangements with agencies of the United States of America, the State of Louisiana and its various departments and political subdivisions, on a matching fund or any other basis in any drainage and reclamation projects.  Purchase servitudes and rights-of-way for their own uses or for the use of any state or federal agency with which they may cooperate in connection with some work of improvement.  

(8)  Accept gifts and grants of money, property or services.  

(9)  Extend canals or ditches or both canals and ditches beyond the limits of the drainage districts but within the boundaries of St. Mary Parish for the purpose of securing a proper outlet for the waters of the drainage districts.  

B.  The authority herein granted may be exercised and the works of improvement herein authorized may be constructed within or without the limits of the districts so long as they inure to the direct benefit of the districts and the inhabitants thereof.  

C.  The powers, rights and authority granted by this section shall be in addition to any powers now or hereafter conferred on drainage districts by the provisions of this part and shall not be limited or restricted by any other provisions of said part, and in particular the provisions of La. Rev. Stat. 38:1678.  

Added by Acts 1974, No. 580, §1; Acts 1992, No. 126, §1, eff. June 5, 1992; Acts 1992, No. 511, §1, eff. June 22, 1992.