(a) A municipality may vote at any regular or special meeting to merge with one or more other municipalities in the same unified union school district to create or join an assessment district for the purpose of standardized property valuation.

(b) All municipalities merged into an assessment district shall agree to implement standardized assessment procedures approved by the Commissioner. The Commissioner shall provide written guidance to municipalities relating to how they may receive approval under this subsection.

(c) A vote to merge with an assessment district shall be binding on a municipality for five years. After five years, a municipality may vote at any regular or special meeting to leave the assessment district, unless the assessment district has consolidated all administrative functions.

(d) All municipalities within an assessment district shall be treated as a single municipality for purposes of the equalization process established by section 5405 of this chapter.

(e) Municipalities within an assessment district shall maintain independent grand lists for municipal taxation, as well as independent processes for grievances, property valuation appeals, abatements, grand list filing, use value appraisal parcel management, reappraisal, and financial interaction with the Agency of Education, unless the Commissioner, in writing, authorizes the municipalities of an assessment district to consolidate all property valuation administrative functions. (Added 2019, No. 51, § 26.)