15-9-207. Board; powers and duties; division of property and sales tax; special fund; adjustment evaluations.
(a) The board, subject to the provisions of this article and subject to other applicable provisions of law, shall have all powers customarily vested in the board of directors of a corporation. It shall exercise supervisory control over the activities of the director and the staff of the authority in carrying out the functions authorized by this article.
(b) In addition to the powers granted by subsection (a) of this section, the board may:
(i) Appoint and remove a director and other staff members, who shall be employed upon recommendation of the director, and prescribe their duties and fix their compensation;
(ii) At the request of the governing body, prepare an analysis of economic changes taking place in the central business district of the municipality;
(iii) Study and analyze the impact of metropolitan growth upon the central business district;
(iv) Plan and propose, within the downtown development area, plans of development for public facilities and other improvements to public or private property of all kinds, including removal, site preparation, renovation, repair, remodeling, reconstruction or other changes in existing buildings which may be necessary or appropriate to the execution of any development plan which in the opinion of the board will aid and improve the downtown development area;
(v) Implement, as provided in this article, any plan of development, whether economic or physical, in the downtown development area as is necessary to carry out its functions;
(vi) In cooperation with the planning board and the planning department of the municipality, develop long-range plans designed to carry out the purposes of the authority and to promote the economic growth of the district, and implement education and public relations programs to persuade property owners and business proprietors to implement such plans to the fullest extent possible;
(vii) Retain and fix the compensation of legal counsel to advise the board in the proper performance of its duties;
(viii) Make and enter into all contracts necessary or incidental to the exercise of its powers and the performance of its duties.
(c) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, any plan of development as originally adopted by the board or as later modified pursuant to this article may, after approval by the governing body of the municipality, contain a provision that property taxes, if any, levied after the effective date of the approval of the plan of development by the governing body upon taxable property within the boundaries of the development area each year, or that municipal sales taxes collected within the area, or both, shall be divided for a period not to exceed twenty-five (25) years after the effective date of approval by the governing body of the provision, as follows:
(i) That portion of the property taxes which are produced by the levy at the rate fixed each year by the governing body upon the valuation for assessment of taxable property within the boundaries of the development area last certified prior to the effective date of approval by the governing body of the plan, or, as to an area later added to the boundaries of the development area, the effective date of the modification of the plan, or that portion of municipal sales taxes collected within the boundaries of the development area in the twelve (12) month period ending on the last day of the month prior to the effective date of approval of the plan, or both, shall be paid into the treasury of the municipality;
(ii) That portion of the property taxes or all or any portion of the municipal sales taxes, or both, in excess of such amount shall be allocated to and, when collected, paid into a special fund of the municipality and used, as determined by the authority and the governing body of the municipality, for the payment of the principal of, the interest on, and any premiums due in connection with the bonds of, loans or advances to, or indebtedness incurred by, whether funded, refunded, assumed or otherwise, the municipality for financing or refinancing, in whole or in part, a development project within the boundaries of the development area and for payment of costs of landscaping or other maintenance of public areas, promotion of public events, activities in support of business recruitment and development and funding of capital improvements. Any excess municipal sales tax collection not allocated pursuant to this paragraph shall be paid into the funds of the municipality. Unless and until the total valuation for assessment of the taxable property within the boundaries of the development area exceeds the base valuation for assessment of the taxable property within such boundaries, as provided in paragraph (i) of this subsection, all of the property taxes levied upon the taxable property in the development area shall be paid into the treasury of the municipality. Unless and until the total municipal sales tax collections in the development area exceed the base year municipal sales tax collections in such area, as provided in paragraph (i) of this subsection, all municipal sales tax collections shall be paid into the funds of the municipality. When such bonds, loans, advances and indebtedness, if any, including interest thereon and any premiums due in connection therewith, and including any refunding securities therefore, have been paid, all taxes upon the taxable property or the total municipal sales tax collections, or both, in the development area shall be paid into the funds of the municipality.
(d) The special fund described in paragraph (c)(ii) of this section and the tax monies paid into the fund may be irrevocably pledged by the municipality for the payment of the principal of, the interest on, and any premiums due in connection with the bonds, loans, advances or indebtedness if the question of issuing the bonds or otherwise providing for the loans, advances or indebtedness and the question of the intended pledge are first submitted for approval to the qualified electors of the municipality at an election. The election shall be called by resolution of the board adopted at a regular or special meeting and approved by the governing body by a majority vote. The election shall be held, conducted, canvassed and returned in accordance with the Political Subdivision Bond Election Law, W.S. 22-21-101 through 22-21-112.
(e) School districts which include all or any part of the development area shall be permitted to participate in an advisory capacity.
(f) In the event there is a general reassessment of taxable property valuations in any county including all or part of the development area subject to division of valuation for assessment under subsection (c) of this section, or a change in the sales tax percentage levied in any municipality including all or part of the development area subject to division of sales taxes under subsection (c) of this section, the portions of valuations for assessment or sales taxes under both paragraphs (i) and (ii) of subsection (c) of this section shall be proportionately adjusted in accordance with the reassessment or change.