Whenever the Town Council of the Town of Franklin shall order any street or sidewalk to be opened, graded, macadamized, paved or otherwise constructed, repaired or improved, the Town Council shall have the power to assess any portion, not exceeding one-half, of the cost of the opening, grading, macadamizing, paving, construction, repairs or improvements against the property owners benefited by proposing opening, grading, macadamizing, paving, construction, repairs or improvements. To the end that the provisions of this section may be carried into effect the Town Council shall have the power to declare the area within the town as may be directly benefited by the proposed opening, grading, macadamizing, paving, construction, repairs or improvements, a taxing district and the cost of the proposed improvements assessed against the property owners shall be a lien upon the lands of the several property owners lying within the area to the extent and in the manner following:
The Town Council having declared the taxing district and fixed its boundaries and having ordered the proposed improvements and fixed the proportion to be assessed against the property owners benefited, shall appoint a jury of three disinterested freeholders of the Town, who shall go upon the property embraced in the taxing district, after 30 days notice in writing to the respective owners of the property, and assess against the owner of each individual piece of property within the district the proportion of the cost to be paid by him, and the same shall be a lien upon all property of the property owner lying with said taxing district. It shall be a lien upon all property of the property owner lying with the taxing district. It immediately adjacent or contiguous to the street or sidewalk so ordered to be opened, graded, macadamized, paved, constructed, repaired or improved, but it shall be sufficient that the property be included in the taxing district so declared and established by the Town Council. But the Town Council shall only include in the taxing district the property as is directly benefited by the proposed improvement. The jury so appointed shall make their report in writing to the Town Council under their hands and seals, which report shall be subject to review or amendment by the Town Council, and on being confirmed by the Council and spread upon their minutes, shall have the effect of a judgment against the respective landowners and be a lien upon the lands of the owners for the amounts so declared: Provided, that any party aggrieved by the action of the Town Council upon the report shall have the right of appeal to the Superior Court of Macon County. (Pr. Laws 1920 E.S., C.6; Am. Ord. 2017-006, adopted 5-15-17)