(1)(a) The cost of the improvement and of the operation and maintenance thereof, if any, shall be especially assessed against the lands within such local improvement district in proportion to the benefits accruing thereto, and shall be levied and collected in the manner provided by law for the levy and collection of land assessments or toll assessments or both such form of assessments.

(b) The costs of the improvement must include, but not be limited to:

(i) The cost of all of the construction or improvement authorized for the district;

(ii) The estimated cost and expense of all engineering and surveying necessary for the improvement done under the supervision of the irrigation district engineer;

(iii) The estimated cost and expense of ascertaining the ownership of the lots or parcels of land included in the assessment district;

(iv) The estimated cost and expense of advertising, mailing, and publishing all necessary notices;

(v) The estimated cost and expense of accounting and clerical labor, and of books and blanks extended or used on the part of the irrigation district treasurer in connection with the improvement;

(vi) All cost of the acquisition of rights-of-way, property, easements, or other facilities or rights, including without limitation rights to use property, facilities, or other improvements appurtenant, related to, or useful in connection with the local improvement, whether by eminent domain, purchase, gift, payment of connection charges, capacity charges, or other similar charges or in any other manner; and

(vii) The cost for legal, financial, and appraisal services and any other expenses incurred by the irrigation district for the district or in the formation thereof, or by irrigation district in connection with such construction or improvement and in the financing thereof, including the issuance of any bonds and the cost of providing for increases in the local improvement guaranty fund, or providing for a separate reserve fund or other security for the payment of principal of and interest on such bonds.

(c) Any of the costs set forth in this section may be excluded from the cost and expense to be assessed against the property in the local improvement district and may be paid from any other moneys available therefor if the board of directors so designates by resolution at any time.

(d) The board may give credit for all or any portion of any property or other donation against an assessment, charge, or other required financial contribution for improvements within a local improvement district.

(2) All provisions for the assessment, equalization, levy, and collection of assessments for irrigation district purposes shall be applicable to assessments for local improvements except that no election shall be required to authorize the improvement or the expenditures therefor or the bonds issued to meet the cost thereof or the contract authorized in RCW 87.03.485 to repay the cost thereof. In addition or as an alternative, an irrigation district may elect to apply all or a portion of the provisions for the assessment, equalization, levy, and collection of assessments applicable to city or town local improvement districts; however any duties of the city or town treasurer shall be the duties of the treasurer of the county in which the office of the district is located or other treasurer of the district if appointed pursuant to RCW 87.03.440. In connection with a hearing on the assessment roll, the board may designate a hearing officer to conduct the hearing, and the hearing officer must report recommendations on the assessment roll to the board for final action. Assessments when collected by the county treasurer for the payment for the improvement of any local improvement district shall constitute a special fund to be called “bond redemption or contract repayment fund of local improvement district No. . . . . . .”

(3) Bonds issued under this chapter shall be eligible for disposal to and purchase by the director of ecology under the provisions of the state reclamation act.

(4) The cost or any unpaid portion thereof, of any such improvement, charged or to be charged or assessed against any tract of land may be paid in one payment under and pursuant to such rules as the board of directors may adopt, and all such amounts shall be paid over to the county treasurer who shall place the same in the appropriate fund. No such payment shall thereby release such tract from liability to assessment for deficiencies or delinquencies of the levies in such improvement district until all of the bonds or the contract, both principal and interest, issued or entered into for such local improvement district have been paid in full. The receipt given for any such payment shall have the foregoing provision printed thereon. The amount so paid shall be included on the annual assessment roll for the current year, provided, such roll has not then been delivered to the treasurer, with an appropriate notation by the secretary that the amount has been paid. If the roll for that year has been delivered to the treasurer then the payment so made shall be added to the next annual assessment roll with appropriate notation that the amount has been paid.

Assessment, equalization, levy and collection of assessments for irrigation district purposes: RCW 87.03.240 through 87.03.280.