Arkansas § 14-235-223 - Rates and charges for services — Lien.

§ 14-235-223. Rates and charges for services — Lien.

The council of the municipality shall have power, and it shall be its duty, by ordinance to establish and maintain just and equitable rates or charges for the use of and the service rendered by the works, to be paid by each user of the sewerage system of the municipality. The council may change and readjust the rates or charges from time to time to such extent as will not render insecure the rights of the holders of revenue bonds or violate any sinking fund agreement, or other lawful agreement, with such bondholders. The rates or charges shall be sufficient in each year for the payment of the proper and reasonable expense of operation, repair, replacements, and maintenance of the works and for the payment of the sums required in this subchapter to be paid into the sinking fund. Revenues collected pursuant to this section shall be deemed the revenues of the works. No rates or charges shall be established until after a public hearing, at which all the users of the works and owners of property served or to be served by them and others interested shall have opportunity to be heard concerning the proposed rates or charges. After introduction of the ordinance fixing the rates or charges, and before the ordinance is finally enacted, notice of the hearing, setting forth the proposed schedule of the rates or charges, shall be given by one (1) publication in a newspaper published in the municipality if there is such a newspaper, but otherwise in a newspaper having general circulation in the municipality, at least ten (10) days before the date fixed in the notice for the hearing, which may be adjourned from time to time. After the hearing the ordinance establishing rates or charges, either as originally introduced or as modified and amended, shall be passed and put into effect. A copy of the schedule of the rates and charges established shall be kept on file in the office of the sewer committee having charge of the operation of the works, and also in the office of the municipal clerk or recorder, and shall be open to inspection by all parties interested. The rates or charges so established for any class of users or property served shall be extended to cover any additional premises thereafter served which fall within the same class, without the necessity of any hearing or notice. Any change or readjustment of the rates or charges may be made in the same manner as the rates or charges were originally established as provided in this section. If the change or readjustment is made substantially pro rata as to all classes of service, no hearing or notice shall be required. The aggregate of the rates or charges shall always be sufficient for the expense of operation, repair, and maintenance and for the sinking fund payments. If any service rate or charge established shall not be paid within thirty (30) days after it is due, the amount of it, together with a penalty of ten percent (10%) and a reasonable attorney's fee, may be recovered by the sewer committee in a chancery suit, filed in the chancery court of the county where the works, or the greater part of them, shall be located, in the name of the municipality or in the name of the trustee under the indenture securing the revenue bonds, or in the name of the bondholders, to such extent as their right to sue in their own name may be permitted under the trust indenture.