A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to amend the authority counties and cities have to use special assessments to address critical infrastructure needs.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.(a)  G.S. 153A‑210.1 reads as rewritten:
"§ 153A‑210.1.  Purpose; sunset.
(a)	Purpose. – This Article enables counties that face increased demands for infrastructure improvements as a result of rapid growth and development to issue revenue bonds payable from special assessments imposed under this Article on benefited property. This Article supplements the authority counties have in Article 9 of this Chapter. The provisions of Article 9 of this Chapter apply to this Article, to the extent they do not conflict with this Article.
(b)	Sunset. – This Article expires July 1, 2015. The expiration does not affect the validity of assessments imposed or bonds issued or authorized under the provisions of this Article prior to the effective date of the expiration."
SECTION 1.(b)  G.S. 153A‑210.2(c) reads as rewritten:
"(c)	Method. – The board of commissioners must establish an assessment method that will most accurately assess each lot or parcel of land subject to the assessments according to the benefits conferred upon it by the project for which the assessment is made. In addition to other bases upon which assessments may be made under G.S. 153A‑186, the board may select any other method designed to allocate the costs in accordance with benefits conferred. In doing so, the board may provide that the benefits conferred are measured on the basis of use being made on the lot or parcel of land and provide for adjustments of assessments upon a change in use, provided that the total amount of all assessments is sufficient to pay the costs of the project after the adjustments have been made."
SECTION 1.(c)  G.S. 153A‑210.3(a) reads as rewritten:
"(a)	Petition. – The board of commissioners may not impose a special assessment under this Article unless it receives a petition for the project to be financed by the assessment signed by (i) at least a majority of the owners of real property to be assessed and (ii) owners who represent at least sixty‑six percent (66%) of the assessed value of all real property to be assessed. For purposes of determining whether the petition has been signed by a majority of owners, an owner who holds title to a parcel of real property alone shall be treated as having one vote each and an owner who shares title to a parcel of real property with one or more other owners shall have a vote equal to one vote multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is one, and the denominator of which is the total number of owners of the parcel. For purposes of determining whether the assessed value represented by those signing the petition constitutes at least sixty‑six percent (66%) of the assessed value of all real property to be assessed, an owner who holds title to a parcel of real property alone shall have the full assessed value of the parcel included in the calculation, and an owner who shares title to a parcel of real property with one or more other owners shall have their proportionate share of the full assessed value of the parcel included in the calculation. The petition must include the following:
(1)	A statement of the project proposed to be financed in whole or in part by the imposition of an assessment under this Article.
(2)	An estimate of the cost of the project.
(3)	An estimate of the portion of the cost of the project to be assessed."
SECTION 2.(a)  G.S. 160A‑239.1 reads as rewritten:
"§ 160A‑239.1.  Purpose; sunset.
(a)	Purpose. – This Article enables cities that face increased demands for infrastructure improvements as a result of rapid growth and development to issue revenue bonds payable from special assessments imposed under this Article on benefited property. This Article supplements the authority cities have in Article 10 of this Chapter. The provisions of Article 10 of this Chapter apply to this Article, to the extent they do not conflict with this Article.
(b)	Sunset. – This Article expires July 1, 2015. The expiration does not affect the validity of assessments imposed or bonds issued or authorized under the provisions of this Article prior to the effective date of the expiration."
SECTION 2.(b)  G.S. 160A‑239.2(c) reads as rewritten:
"(c)	Method. – The city council must establish an assessment method that will most accurately assess each lot or parcel of land subject to the assessments according to the benefits conferred upon it by the project for which the assessment is made. In addition to other bases upon which assessments may be made under G.S. 160A‑218, the council may select any other method designed to allocate the costs in accordance with benefits conferred. In doing so, the council may provide that the benefits conferred are measured on the basis of use being made on the lot or parcel of land and provide for adjustments of assessments upon a change in use, provided that the total amount of all assessments is sufficient to pay the costs of the project after the adjustments have been made."
SECTION 2.(c)  G.S. 160A‑239.3(a) reads as rewritten:
"(a)	Petition. – The city council may not impose a special assessment under this Article unless it receives a petition for the project to be financed by the assessment signed by (i) at least a majority of the owners of real property to be assessed and (ii) owners who represent at least sixty‑six percent (66%) of the assessed value of all real property to be assessed. For purposes of determining whether the petition has been signed by a majority of owners, an owner who holds title to a parcel of real property alone shall be treated as having one vote each and an owner who shares title to a parcel of real property with one or more other owners shall have a vote equal to one vote multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is one, and the denominator of which is the total number of owners of the parcel. For purposes of determining whether the assessed value represented by those signing the petition constitutes at least sixty‑six percent (66%) of the assessed value of all real property to be assessed, an owner who holds title to a parcel of real property alone shall have the full assessed value of the parcel included in the calculation, and an owner who shares title to a parcel of real property with one or more other owners shall have their proportionate share of the full assessed value of the parcel included in the calculation. The petition must include the following:
(1)	A statement of the project proposed to be financed in whole or in part by the imposition of an assessment under this Article.
(2)	An estimate of the cost of the project.
(3)	An estimate of the portion of the cost of the project to be assessed."
SECTION 3.  Section 5 of S.L. 2008‑165 reads as rewritten:
"SECTION 5. This act is effective when it becomes law."
SECTION 4.  This act is effective when it becomes law and applies to special assessments imposed on or after that date.