A.(1)  The Terrebonne Levee and Conservation District shall constitute a political subdivision of the state of Louisiana within the meaning of La. Const. Art. VI, § 44 , and is hereby granted the authority to issue bonds and to levy taxes for the payment of principal and interest thereon as provided in this Subsection.

(2)  The district may levy taxes, incur debt, and otherwise raise revenue as provided in Article VI, Sections 39 and 40 of the Constitution of Louisiana and in any manner provided by law for levee districts.

(3)(a)  The district may levy a sales and use tax at a rate not to exceed one percent upon the sale at retail, the use, the lease or rental, the consumption, and the storage for use or consumption of tangible personal property and on sales of services, all as defined and provided for in the Uniform Local Sales Tax Code, La. Rev. Stat. 47:337.1 et seq., if approved by a majority of electors voting thereon in an election held for that purpose.

(b)  The tax authorized by this Paragraph shall not be subject to the combined rate limitation established in La. Const. Art. VI, § 29(A) of Louisiana nor to the combined rate limitation established by La. Rev. Stat. 47:338.54.  The authority granted in this Paragraph shall not limit any taxing authority granted to any other political subdivision by any other provision of law.

(4)  The district may issue general obligation bonds as defined in La. Const. Art. VI, § 33 in the manner set forth in La. Rev. Stat. 39:551 et seq., and may issue sales tax revenue bonds as provided for in La. Rev. Stat. 39:698.1 et seq.

B.  The district shall have all the rights and powers conferred by Chapter 4 of Title 38 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, as amended, together with such additional rights and powers as may be granted by the legislature.

C.  The management and control of the district shall be vested in the board of commissioners of the Terrebonne Levee and Conservation District.  In addition to any other powers and duties provided by law, the primary duty of the board shall be to establish, construct, operate, or maintain flood control works as they relate to hurricane protection, tidewater flooding, saltwater intrusion, and conservation.  As a secondary duty, the board shall have the authority to establish flood control, adequate drainage relating to tidal or riverine flooding, and water resources development including but not limited to construction of reservoirs, diversion canals, gravity and pump drainage systems, erosion control measures, and marsh management.

D.(1)  The board may enter into contracts and agreements of any nature for the purposes of this Chapter with any person or persons, corporation, association, or other entity, including public corporations, port authorities, the state and agencies thereof, levee districts, parishes, other political subdivisions, the United States Government and agencies thereof, or any combination thereof, or with instrumentalities of any kind to carry out the purposes of and the powers granted in this Chapter.

(2)  In seeking requests for proposals for professional engineering services, the board shall make every effort to utilize various engineering companies located within Terrebonne Parish.

E.  The board may enter into contracts or other agreements with any person or entity concerning the providing of lands, servitudes, rights-of-way, and relocations, and may engage jointly in the exercise of any power to include the construction, operation, and maintenance of any facilities and improvements for the purpose of the projects under this Chapter.

F.  The board shall have the authority to construct and maintain drainage works of all types as they relate to tidewater flooding, hurricane protection, conservation, and saltwater intrusion, either in cooperation with one or more parishes, municipalities, drainage districts, or other special districts within its jurisdiction, or upon its own undertaking.

G.  The board may buy and sell property, make and execute all contracts, and perform any and all things necessary to carry out the objects of this Chapter, subject to the limitations and duties provided in this Section.

H.  Repealed by Acts 2009, No. 509, §2.

I.  Through cooperative endeavors entered into by both districts, the Terrebonne Levee and Conservation District and the Atchafalaya Basin Levee District may participate in joint conservation efforts.

J.  Repealed by Acts 2009, No. 509, §2.

Acts 1997, No. 1407, §1, eff. July 15, 1997; Acts 2001, No. 111, §1; Acts 2006, No. 8, §1, eff. May 4, 2006; Acts 2009, No. 509, §2.