House Bill No. introduced by J. Fitzpatrick establishes a framework for creating County Road Maintenance Districts in Montana. The bill mandates that the Board of County Commissioners must create such a district upon receiving a petition signed by at least 66% of property owners within the proposed district. The bill outlines the necessary components of a county road maintenance district plan, including the designation of district boundaries, the roads to be maintained, and the methods for assessing maintenance costs. Additionally, it allows the district to include roads under the jurisdiction of other entities if a memorandum of understanding is in place.

The bill also amends Section 15-10-420 of the Montana Code Annotated to require that property taxes assessed for the county general levy dedicated to road improvement or maintenance be reduced by the total amount assessed by the newly created road maintenance district. This ensures that the funding for road maintenance is effectively managed and that property owners are not double-taxed for road maintenance services. The bill includes provisions for the district to prepare an annual budget and enter into contracts for road maintenance services, thereby enhancing the governance and operational efficiency of road maintenance in the county.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 15-10-420
HB0369_1(1): 15-10-420
HB0369_1(2): 15-10-420
HB0369_1: 15-10-420