§ 153A-206. Street light assessments.
§ 153A‑206. Streetlight assessments.
(a) Authorization. A county may annually levy specialassessments against benefited property in a residential subdivision within thecounty and not within a city for the costs of providing street lights andstreet lighting pursuant to the procedures provided in this Article. Theprovisions of this Article, other than G.S. 153A‑186, G.S. 153A‑187and G.S. 153A‑190 through G.S. 153A‑193, apply to street lightassessments under this section.
(b) Basis of Assessment. The estimated costs of providingstreet lights and street lighting shall be apportioned among all benefitedproperty on the basis of the number of lots served, or subject to being served,by the street lights, at an equal rate per lot.
(c) Amount of Assessment. The county shall determine the amountof the assessments on the basis of an estimate of the cost of constructing oroperating the street lights during the ensuing year, and the board ofcommissioners' determination of the amount of the assessment is conclusive. Indetermining the total cost to be included in the assessment, the board may alsoinclude estimated costs of necessary legal services, projected utility rateincreases, and the costs to the county of administering and collecting theassessment.
(d) Procedure. The county may approve the levy of street lightassessments under this section upon petition of at least two‑thirds ofthe owners of the lots within the subdivision. The request or petition shallinclude an estimate from the appropriate utility of the charge for providingstreet lights and street lighting within the subdivision for one year. Uponapproval of the petition, the petitioning owner or owners shall pay to the taxcollector the total estimated assessment amount for the ensuing year asdetermined by the county. This payment shall be set aside by the county taxoffice in escrow as security for payment of the assessments.
(e) Collection and Administration. The county shall levy thestreet light assessments on an annual basis and shall pay the costs ofproviding street lights and street lighting to the appropriate utility on aperiodic basis. The assessment amount shall be adjusted on an annual basis inorder to maintain in the escrow account an amount equal to the estimated cost ofproviding street lighting plus related expenses for the ensuing year. (1989 (Reg. Sess., 1990), c. 923, s. 2.)