Montana § 7-12-4611 - Resolution For Assessment -- Assessment Options

§ 7-12-4611. Resolution For Assessment -- Assessment Options

Resolution for assessment -- assessment options. The city or town council shall estimate, as nearly as practicable, the entire cost of installing and maintaining fire hydrants each year and the portion thereof to be assessed against the property within the district. Before the first Monday in October, the council must pass and finally adopt a resolution levying and assessing the property within the district. The city or town council, for the purpose of making the assessment, shall adopt one of the following methods: (1) The council may assess the cost of fire hydrant installation and maintenance against the entire district, each lot or parcel of land within the district to be assessed for that part of the whole cost which its area bears to the area of the entire district, exclusive of streets, avenues, alleys, and public places. (2) The council may assess the cost of fire hydrant installation and maintenance against the entire district, each lot or parcel of land within the district bordering or abutting on the streets where fire hydrants are located to be assessed in its lineal proportion to the total lineal feet bordering or abutting on such streets. (3) If the city council determines that the area, frontage, or combination options are inequitable, it may assess the cost of fire hydrant installation and maintenance: (a) against the entire district, each lot or parcel of land within such district to be assessed for that part of the whole cost that its taxable valuation, including improvements, bears to the taxable valuation of the entire district; or (b) against the entire district, each lot or parcel of land receiving service within the district to be assessed by apportioning the whole cost according to a ratio between the water meter size servicing each lot or parcel and the whole cost.