By a vote of 37 to 13, the Senate concurred in House Amendments to SB 71 with respect to drainage assessments and stormwater. The bill provides that state and political subdivisions are not exempt from drainage assessments. County treasurers are required to send the state land office an annual list of state property for which drainage assessments are delinquent. The bill also establishes the procedures under which an excluded city or town in Marion county may withdraw from the storm water special taxing district.
From the Fiscal Impact Statement, it sounds like the State is already obligated to pay drainage assessments but possibly is not being fully assessed for all of its obligations. There will be increased administrative costs to the treasurer for preparing the annual list, but that cost will presumably be covered by additional drainage revenues. Properties of political subdivisions, schools, and libraries would not be exempt from drainage assessments and expenses would therefore increase for those entities.
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