18-12-119. Duty of county officials to levy and collect taxes.

(a) The body having authority to levy taxes or make assessments within each county shall levy the taxes or assessments authorized herein and all officials charged with the duty of assessing property and collecting taxes shall assess property and collect proceeds at the time and in the form and manner with like interest and penalties as property is assessed and other taxes are collected, and when collected they shall pay the same to the district ordering the assessment or levy and collection. The payment of the collections shall be made monthly to the treasurer of the district and paid into its depository to the credit of the district. All taxes levied under this act, together with interest thereon and penalties for default in payment thereof, and all costs of collecting the same, constitute, until paid, a perpetual lien on and against the property taxed, and such lien shall be administered as and on a parity with the tax lien of other general taxes.

(b) For any district established to provide emergency medical services under W.S. 18-12-112(a)(xxii) at the time of making the levy for county purposes, the county shall levy a tax for that year upon the taxable property in the district in its county for its proportionate share based on assessed valuation of the estimated amount of funds needed by each district providing emergency medical services, but, except as provided in this subsection, in no case shall the tax for the district exceed in any one (1) year the amount of two (2) mills on each dollar of assessed valuation of the property. Up to an additional two (2) mills may be imposed on each dollar of assessed valuation of the property if approved by the board of directors and if approved by the electors as provided in subsection (c) of this section.

(c) If the board of directors votes to increase the mill levy beyond two (2) mills as authorized by subsection (b) of this section, the board of county commissioners shall call an election within the district upon the question of whether the mill levy should be increased beyond two (2) mills. The election shall be called, conducted and canvassed as provided for bond elections by the Political Subdivision Bond Election Law, W.S. 22-21-101 through 22-21-112, on the first date authorized under W.S. 22-21-103 which is not less than sixty (60) days after the board of directors votes to increase the mill levy beyond two (2) mills. In no event shall the tax in a district providing emergency medical services exceed in any one (1) year the amount of four (4) mills on each dollar of assessed valuation of property. The increase in mill levy is effective only if the question is approved by a majority of those voting thereon within the district providing emergency medical services. The cost of any special election under this subsection shall be borne by the board of directors.

(d) If the proposition to authorize an additional mill levy is approved, the tax shall remain in effect until a petition to discontinue the tax, signed by not less than ten percent (10%) of the voters of the district, is received by the board of county commissioners, at which time the proposal to discontinue the tax shall be submitted to the voters of the district at the expense of the county at the next general election. If the proposition to impose or discontinue the tax is defeated, the proposition shall not again be submitted to the electors for at least twenty-three (23) months.

(e) The board of directors shall administer the finances of the district providing emergency medical services in accordance with W.S. 16-4-101 through 16-4-124.