(a) The purposes of this Chapter are to:
(1) authorize the County to provide financing, refinancing or reimbursement for the cost of infrastructure improvements necessary for the development of land in areas of the County of high priority for new development or redevelopment by creating development districts in which special assessments, special taxes, or both, may be levied;
(2) authorize the issuance of bonds or other obligations of the County that are payable from special assessments or special taxes collected, in a development district;
(3) specify the procedures to be followed in creating a development district, issuing bonds, and assessing and enforcing the collection of special assessments or special taxes in such a district; and
(4) provide for the tax-exempt nature and form of the bonds.
(b) Development districts would be especially useful in achieving these purposes where:
(1) an approved master plan recommends significant development in a specific area of the County;
(2) the infrastructure needs necessary to serve that development include extensive and long-term facilities; and
(3) the real estate market and the availability of land will permit significant development within the life of a development district. (1994 L.M.C., ch. 12, § 1; 2008 L.M.C., ch. 34, § 1.)
*Editor’s note—See County Attorney Opinion dated 9/7/07 discussing methods of acquiring the construction of infrastructure for development districts. See County Attorney Opinion dated 7/26/07 discussing multiple issues deriving from the Clarksburg Master plan and related issues regarding development districts.
2008 L.M.C., ch. 34, took effect on January 26, 2009.
2008 L.M.C., ch. 34, § 3, states: Applicability; interpretation.
(a) Any amendment to County Code Chapter 14 made in Section 1 of this Act applies to any action taken after this Act take effect.
(b) Any amendment to County Code Chapter 14 made in Section 1 of this Act does not alter or affect any Council resolution adopted, or other action taken with respect to a development district, before this Act takes effect.
(c) Any amendment to County Code Chapter 14 made in Section 1 of this Act does not indicate that the previous version of a provision amended by Section 1 of this Act should be interpreted differently from the same provision as amended by Section 1 of this Act.
(d) Any notice or disclosure requirement in Section 14-17, as amended by Section 1 of this Act, applies to any sale contract signed, and any sales material or advertisement for sale disseminated, after this Act takes effect in any development district created, and in any proposed development district for which the Council adopted a resolution under Section 14-6, after January 1, 2001.