Sec. 21. (a) The commission is authorized to provide special benefits to taxpayers in the basin by promoting public safety and economic development that is of public use and benefit through public funds provided by the fiscal bodies of the Indiana counties located in the basin and the special assessments imposed under this chapter.

(b) Except as provided by subsection (c), there is imposed in each calendar year beginning after December 31, 2020, an annual special assessment against each taxable parcel of real property that is located within any part of the basin within an Indiana county as follows:

(1) For a residential parcel of real property, seven dollars ($7).

(2) For an agricultural parcel of real property, the product of:

(A) one dollar ($1); multiplied by

(B) the number of acres in the parcel.

(3) For a commercial parcel of real property on which no structures are situated, the product of:

(A) two dollars ($2); multiplied by

(B) the number of acres in the parcel.

(4) For a commercial parcel of real property on which at least one (1) structure is situated, fifty dollars ($50).

(5) For an industrial or public utility parcel of real property, three hundred sixty dollars ($360).

(c) A county is not subject to the special assessment imposed by subsection (b) if the county fiscal body adopts a resolution opting to implement one (1) of the following methods of supporting the commission instead:

(1) The county may pay direct support to the commission in lieu of special assessments imposed under subsection (b) from any resources available to the county. Payments of direct support must be made in an amount equal to at least ninety percent (90%) of the amount that the county could raise through special assessments imposed under subsection (b).

(2) The county may:

(A) impose a special assessment for one (1) or more classes of property listed in subsection (b), that is less than the special assessment provided for the class or classes of property under subsection (b); and

(B) supplement the special assessments by paying direct support to the commission from any resources available to the county;

as long as the total amount raised by the county under this subdivision is at least equal to the amount the county could raise through special assessments imposed under subsection (b).

(3) The county may impose a schedule of special assessments in which:

(A) a special assessment for one (1) or more classes of property listed in subsection (b) is greater than the special assessment provided for the class or classes of property under subsection (b); and

(B) the total amount raised by the county under this subdivision is greater than the amount that could be raised by the county through special assessments imposed under subsection (b).

(d) Payments of direct support under subsection (c)(1):

(1) must be paid in calendar years beginning after December 31, 2020; and

(2) are due at the same time special assessments are paid to the commission under section 22(e) of this chapter.

As added by P.L.282-2019, SEC.8.