Bill > HB369

This bill establishes a mechanism for creating county road maintenance districts in situations where a county board of commissioners indicates it will no longer maintain certain roads. The bill allows property owners in an affected area to petition to create a special road maintenance district if at least 66% of property owners in the proposed district support the initiative. The petition must include a detailed plan specifying district boundaries, road miles to be maintained, jurisdictional details, maintenance types, and cost assessment methods. Once established, the district can assess maintenance costs against benefited properties and will have an annual budget that must be included in the county budget without modification. Importantly, the county must reduce its general property tax levy by the total amount assessed by the district, effectively shifting road maintenance funding responsibility to the property owners within the district. The bill defines maintenance broadly, including activities like snow removal, graveling, road cleaning, and traffic signal maintenance. The district can also enter into agreements with public and private entities to provide road maintenance services. A contingency clause makes the act void if the county enters a long-term maintenance agreement with a homeowners' association or other property owner representative. The bill also includes a $25,000 appropriation for conducting a financial audit of Granite County.

Government Affairs

https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC1974