Ohio Code § 729.11

§ 729.11.

In addition to the power conferred upon municipal corporations under section 727.01 of the Revised Code to levy and collect special assessments, the legislative authority of a municipal

corporation may, whenever it has determined by ordinance that it is necessary to construct,

enlarge, or improve a system of storm or sanitary sewerage for the municipal corporation

or any part thereof, including sewage disposal works, treatment plants, and sewage

pumping stations, or a water supply system for the municipal corporation or any part

thereof including mains, dams, reservoirs, wells, intakes, purification works, and

pumping stations, and that any such improvement shall be constructed, enlarged, or

improved, may levy upon property to be benefited in the municipal corporation or any

designated part thereof, which property shall be described in the ordinance, a preliminary

assessment upon the benefited lots and lands within the corporation or such part thereof,

apportioned according to benefits or to the tax valuation 1 or partly by one method and partly by the other, as the legislative authority determines

for the purpose of paying the costs of general and detailed plans, specifications,

estimates, preparation of the tentative assessment, financing, and legal services

incident to the preparation of such plans, and a plan for financing the proposed improvements. Prior to the adoption of such ordinance, the legislative authority of such municipal

corporation shall give notice of the pendency thereof and of the proposed determination

of the necessity of the improvement therein generally described, which notice shall

set forth the description of the benefited property as designated in the ordinance

and the time and place of hearing of objections to and endorsements of the improvement.  Such notice shall be given by publication in a newspaper of general circulation

in the municipal corporation once a week for two consecutive weeks or as provided

in section 7.16 of the Revised Code , the first publication to be at least two weeks prior to the date set for the hearing.  At such hearing, or at any adjournment thereof, of which no further published notice

need be given, the legislative authority shall hear all persons whose properties are

proposed to be assessed, and such evidence as is deemed to be necessary, and shall

then determine the necessity of the proposed improvement and in addition shall determine

whether the improvement shall be made by the municipal corporation, and shall direct

the preparation of tentative assessments upon the benefited properties and by whom

they shall be prepared. Such assessments shall be in the amount determined to be necessary by the legislative

authority to pay the costs of general and detailed plans, specifications, estimates

of cost, preparation of the tentative assessment, financing and legal services incident

to the preparation of such plans, and a plan of financing the proposed improvements,

and shall be payable in such number of years as the legislative authority determines,

not to exceed twenty, together with interest on any notes which may be issued in anticipation

of the collection of such assessments. The legislative authority may at any time levy additional assessments according to

benefits or to tax valuation or partly by one method and partly by the other as the

legislative authority determines for such purposes upon such properties to complete

the payment of such costs or to pay the cost of any additional plans, specifications,

estimates of cost, tentative assessments, and the cost of financing and legal services

incident to the preparation of such plans and such plan of financing, which additional

assessments shall be payable in such number of years as the legislative authority

determines, not to exceed twenty years, together with interest on any notes and bonds

which may be issued in anticipation of the collection thereof. Upon completion of the tentative assessments or any additional assessments, they shall

be filed with the clerk of the legislative authority and shall be and remain open

to public inspection, and thereupon, the legislative authority shall give at least

ten days' notice of the filing thereof in one newspaper of general circulation in

the municipal corporation, or shall give notice as provided in section 7.16 of the Revised Code , which notice shall state the time and place when and where such tentative assessments

shall be taken up for consideration.  At such time and place or at any adjournment thereof, of which no further published

notice need be given, the legislative authority shall hear all persons whose properties

are proposed to be assessed, shall correct any errors and make any revisions that

appear to be necessary or just, and may then pass an ordinance levying upon the properties

determined to be benefited such assessments as so corrected and revised. The assessments levied by such ordinance shall be certified to the county auditor

for collection as other taxes in the year or years in which they are payable;  provided

any such assessment in the amount of five dollars or less, or any unpaid balance of

any such assessment which is five dollars or less, shall be paid in full, and not

in installments, at the time the first or next installment would otherwise become

due and payable. Upon the adoption of such ordinance levying assessments the legislative authority

may authorize contracts to carry out the purposes for which such assessments have

been levied without the prior issuance of notes and bonds;  provided that the payments

due by the municipal corporation do not fall due prior to the times in which such

assessments shall be collected.  The municipal corporation may also issue and sell its bonds with a maximum maturity

of twenty years in anticipation of the collection of such assessments and may issue

its notes in anticipation of the issuance of such bonds, which notes and bonds shall

be issued and sold as provided in Chapter 133. of the Revised Code. 1

 Prior and current versions differ;  although no amendment to this language was indicated

in 2011 H 153, “or to the tax valuation” appeared as “or to tax valuation” in 129

v 1227.