West Virginia Code 8-13A-12 – Levy of service fees; classification of properties; factors to consider
(a) Upon receipt of a recommended program of services and a proposed budget from the district board, the governing body of the municipality may annually, by ordinance, levy business improvement service fees which may only be applicable to properties located within the improvement district and only to the extent necessary to fund the budget proposed by the district board. All revenue from the fees shall be placed in a special business improvement district fund and may only be used to fund the services provided under this article. Any surplus in the fund in a fiscal year shall be applied to reduce the amount of service fees required for the next fiscal year.
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 8-13A-12
- Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
- Governing body: shall mean the mayor and council together, the council, the board of directors, the commission, or other board or body of any municipality, by whatever name called, as the case may be, charged with the responsibility of enacting ordinances and determining the public policy of such municipality. See West Virginia Code 8-1-2
- Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
- Ordinance: shall mean the ordinances and laws enacted by the governing body of a municipality in the exercise of its legislative power, and in one or more articles of this chapter, ordinances enacted by a county commission. See West Virginia Code 8-1-2
- State: when applied to a part of the United States and not restricted by the context, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" also include the said district and territories. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
(b) The ordinance creating a business improvement district may provide for the division of property within the district into two or more zones or uses in the event significant differences exist relative to the property and the improvements. The ordinance may establish different rates of assessment for each zone or use, or may provide that the rate be a certain percentage of the assessment levied in the zone or on the use, subject to the highest rate of assessment.
(c) The amount of the business improvement service fee shall be in addition to any municipality-wide license fees or any other tax, fee or charge levied for the general benefit and use of the municipality.
(d) Each assessment is a lien on the commercial property that is assessed, second only to any state, federal or county taxes levied on that property.