Florida § 157.06 - Committee to view land before letting contract; assessment; hearing complaints; collection of tax.

§ 157.06. Committee to view land before letting contract; assessment; hearing complaints; collection of tax.

If said ditch, drain or canal has been ordered, but before letting the contract therefor, the committee hereinbefore provided for shall view the lands to be benefited by such ditch, drain or canal, as shown by the petition and plat presented to the board of county commissioners, and, after the cost of construction is ascertained, they shall assess each parcel according and in proportion, as it shall be benefited by said ditch, drain or canal, for all expenses that may be incurred in the construction of said ditch, drain or canal, including the interest charges, the expenses of the committee and engineer, and for any condemnation proceedings, together with their estimate of the amount per acre for annual maintenance of said ditch, drain or canal, and shall file a report of the same with the board of county commissioners, who shall at once give notice by publishing in a newspaper published in said county, at least once each week for 2 consecutive weeks prior to the next regular meeting, that they will, at their next regular meeting, hear complaints from the owners or agents of any lands affected, against the assessment so made, and the board of county commissioners may equalize the assessment so made, but cannot raise or lower the total amount of the assessment so made by the said committee. After hearing such complaints, if any, or equalizing the assessment, if they shall see fit to do so, they shall then turn over to the property appraiser the said assessment, with instructions to enter the same as the levy upon the lands in the regular tax assessment book; said assessment may be levied for 1 year or in yearly assessments for a period not to exceed 30 years, according as it may be deemed advisable, the manner in which the same is to be levied to be determined by the board of county commissioners and entered of record, when the same is turned over to the property appraiser. The same shall be collected by the tax collector in like manner as other taxes are collected, and made a special fund for the payment of the indebtedness incurred in the construction and annual maintenance of said ditch, drain or canal.