Florida § 157.23 - Objections to report of committee fixing assessments; notice; hearing; equalization; assessments; collection by tax collector.

§ 157.23. Objections to report of committee fixing assessments; notice; hearing; equalization; assessments; collection by tax collector.

Whenever the report of any committee appointed under the provisions of this chapter, showing the amount of assessment against any lands for work done, or to be done, in accordance with the provisions of this chapter shall have been filed with the board of county commissioners, they 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 a regular meeting that they will at their next regular meeting hear complaints from the owner or agent of any real estate against the assessment so made against said property and the said county commissioners shall have the full power to equalize the assessments so made against said real estate, but cannot raise or lower the entire assessment so made by the committee so appointed by them to make said assessment and said assessment when equalized shall, by the county commissioners when they are satisfied that such assessments are just and proper, be turned over to the property appraiser with instructions to levy such assessment upon such parcels of land as aforesaid; provided, that when the assessment shall have been made under s. 157.07, s. 157.17 or s. 157.19, the notice published by the county commissioners shall only be required to contain the name of the drain or auxiliary thereto and the total amount of the assessment; and provided further, that when the assessment is made under s. 157.16, if no other lands are assessed than those assessed for the original construction of the drain or auxiliary thereto, then the notice given by the county commissioners need not contain anything but the name of said drain or auxiliary and the total amount of said assessment, but if the assessment is made under s. 157.16 and any other lands are assessed than those assessed for the original cost of the drain or auxiliary then the notice given by the county commissioners shall, in addition to the name of the drain and the total amount of the assessment give the several additional tracts of land so assessed, the owners thereof and the amount of assessment against such additional tracts of land. Said assessments may be levied for 1 year or in yearly assessments for 2, 3, 4, or 6 years, according as it may be deemed advisable and for the best interests of those concerned, and shall be collected by the tax collector in like manner as other taxes are collected, and made a special fund for the cancellation or redemption of the indebtedness incurred in the construction of said drain or auxiliary as aforesaid.