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A.(1)  The governing authority of any road lighting district is hereby authorized to establish, by a majority of the voters of the district voting at an election held therein, a service charge or rates of service charge to be assessed to persons occupying residential and nonresidential structures, to persons owning unoccupied structures located wholly or partly within the boundaries of a road lighting district, and to persons owning lots in the district upon which no structure is located as customers of the district, subject to the provisions of Subsection B of this Section.

(2)  In Ward 8 of St. Tammany Parish, only one service charge shall be assessed to any person occupying a residential or nonresidential structure on two or more contiguous lots, subdivided portions of ground, or individual tracts having the same owner, or to the owner of two or more contiguous lots, subdivided portions of ground, or individual tracts having the same owner, on which an unoccupied structure or no structure is located.

(3)  Such service charges or such rates of service charges shall be for all customers and shall be framed so as to cover and shall be used for the costs of any and all road lighting services, including but not limited to the following:

(a)  Payment of utility charges incurred in the provision of road lighting.

(b)  Maintenance and operation of road lighting district facilities and equipment.

B.  Service charges or rates of service charges so established shall be assessed by resolution of the governing authority of the road lighting district.  However, the resolution assessing the service charges shall be adopted by the governing authority only after the question of the assessment and the amount of the service charge or rates of service charges established has been submitted to and approved by a majority of electors of the district voting at an election held for that purpose.  Such election shall be conducted in accordance with the election laws of the state and shall be held at the same time that an election authorized by the provisions of La. Rev. Stat. 18:402 is held.

C.  The governing authority of any road lighting district assessing a service charge or rates of service charge for road lighting services to customers of the district as provided in this Section shall also have the authority to use any necessary and proper means to collect and enforce the collection of such service charges, including contracting with another political subdivision or other entity to effect such collection.

Acts 1990, No. 891, §1, eff. July 25, 1990; Acts 1994, No. 34, §1, eff. June 7, 1994; Acts 2001, No. 714, §1, eff. June 25, 2001; Acts 2011, 1^st Ex. Sess., No. 11, §1.