New Mexico Statutes
Article 11 - Irrigation Districts Cooperating with United States Under Reclamation Laws; Fiscal Affairs; Local Improvements and Special Powers
Section 73-11-29 - Application for water; budget meeting of directors; notice of meeting; tax assessments and water charges; exemptions from tax; appeal; succession to rights of water users' association.

A. Every person desiring to receive water during the course of the year, at the time he applies for water, shall furnish the secretary of the board of directors of the irrigation district a statement in writing of the number of acres intended by him to be irrigated and a statement, as near as may be, of the crops planted or intended to be planted.
B. The board of directors, on a date to be fixed by a standing order of the board, which shall not be later than July 1 of each year, shall estimate and determine the amount of funds required to meet the obligations and needs of the district for the ensuing year, together with the additional amount as may be necessary to meet any deficiency in the payment of expenses or obligations previously incurred by the district and remaining unpaid, for any of the following purposes that may be required by the activities of the district:
(1) the payment of the interest upon bonds of the district and any installment on the principal of the bonds;
(2) any payment to become due under any contract with the United States, to secure which bonds have not been deposited with the United States, whether for the cost of irrigation or drainage system or for the operation and maintenance, or both; or if the lands of the district have been divided by the secretary of the interior into units, not necessarily contiguous, for repayment purposes the board shall prepare separate estimates for each unit;
(3) the portion of the expenses of operation and maintenance of the irrigation and drainage systems to be collected by tax assessment and levy, including funds required to meet obligations as provided in Section 73-11-49 NMSA 1978. This portion shall not be less than one-half of that portion required for the operation and maintenance costs for the ensuing year and shall be determined by the board of directors of the district from year to year. The portion of the operation and maintenance expenses collected by tax assessment and levy shall be collected from all lands of the district, whether irrigated or not, except those lands as may be exempted from taxation by the terms of Chapter 73, Articles 10 and 11 NMSA 1978, and the same, when collected, shall be applied to the cost of operating and maintaining the irrigation and drainage systems. The remainder of the estimated amount shall be paid by the parties actually using the systems and water for irrigation or other purposes in accordance with the terms of their contract for water; or
(4) current and miscellaneous expense fund requirements, other than as specified in this section, and necessary to defray the expenses of maintaining the organization of the district and carrying out the purposes of Chapter 73, Articles 10 and 11 NMSA 1978, shall be determined annually at a per acre rate by the board of directors. The amounts to be collected pursuant to this paragraph may, at the option of the board of directors of the district, be collected as tolls and charges in the manner provided in Section 73-11-28 NMSA 1978.
C. Lands that, in the opinion of the board of directors, are unfit for cultivation by irrigation on account of seepage, alkali or physical condition and location of the land, or other conditions, or lands to which the existing distributing system or its extensions cannot furnish water at such points of delivery as the board may consider reasonable, shall not be taxed for Paragraph (3) of Subsection B of this section, provided that tax shall not be assessed for Paragraph (3) of Subsection B of this section against land involved in the boundary suit now pending in the United States supreme court between the state of Texas and the state of New Mexico until the final determination of the suit, unless the land is in cultivation and using water for irrigation; and lands shall not be taxed for Paragraphs (1) and (2) of Subsection B of this section for the periods and to the extent that, on account of seepage or other conditions, in the opinion of the directors or the secretary of the interior, as may be provided by contract with the United States, or with district bondholders, such lands are not fit for cultivation by irrigation on account of those conditions; but nothing contained in this section shall be construed to relieve the district from making provision to raise the amount required to make full payment to private creditors or to the United States for the full cost of construction or of operation and maintenance, irrespective of the exemption of any lands from taxation, unless expressly provided by the assent of the bondholders or other private creditors or by agreement with the United States, as the case may be. In determining the amount required for the respective items aforesaid, the board shall take into consideration the gross amount of exemption and credits allowable pursuant to entries made by the board upon the assessor's certified list, as provided in Section 73-11-31 NMSA 1978. Proper entry shall be made by the district officers of all exemptions made and of credits allowed. The amount required to meet the obligations of the district, except that portion collected from tolls and charges, shall be raised by tax assessments, levy and collection, as provided in Chapter 73, Articles 10 and 11 NMSA 1978, to be extended pro rata per acre over all lands in the district or, in appropriate cases, under Paragraph (2) of Subsection B of this section, against all land in each respective unit of the district. When the board meets for the purposes prescribed, it shall consider, determine and designate the lands within the district that shall be subjected to those assessments and levies.
D. Notice of the time, place and purpose of the meeting shall be given by publication in English and Spanish in a newspaper of general circulation published within the county where the headquarters of the district are located and shall inform all the persons interested that, at the time and place specified, an opportunity will be afforded to appear before the board of directors and show cause why any particular tract of land, or any portion of it, should be exempted from taxation under the provisions of Chapter 73, Articles 10 and 11 NMSA 1978. The notice shall be published once a week for four consecutive weeks, and the last publication shall be not less than three days prior to the date fixed for the meeting. Proof of publication shall be furnished by the publisher and shall be filed in the archives of the secretary of the district.
E. At the meeting, the board of directors, subject to reasonable rules as it may prescribe, shall afford to all persons desiring to do so an opportunity to make a showing as they may deem proper as to why any given tract of land or portion of it shall be exempted from taxation. In each case, the board of directors may make an investigation as it may deem proper, after which the board shall determine the question submitted, as right and justice may require, and shall cause its decision to be duly entered upon its minutes and a copy of it to be sent by registered mail to all parties who have made claim of exemption of land from taxation.
F. A person aggrieved by the decision may appeal to the district court pursuant to the provisions of Section 39-3-1.1 NMSA 1978.
G. The filing of the appeal in the district court shall not stay the proceedings relating to the collection of the tax. In the event that the appellant has paid the tax before the rendition of final judgment in the suit and judgment is rendered in the suit in favor of the appellant, the appellant shall have refunded to him a sum of money as shall be determined by the judgment of the court, together with legal interest on it and costs of court. If the appellant fails to recover in the suit, the appellant shall pay all costs of court. In case the assets and liabilities of any water users' association are taken over as provided in Section 73-10-1 NMSA 1978, the board of directors shall allow to the owner of lands, on account of which payment has been made to the association, all proper and equitable credits to which the owner may be entitled, according to the books and records of the association, which shall be prima facie evidence of the credits of its various members. The credits shall be taken into consideration by the board of directors in determining the amount of money required to meet obligations, maintenance, operating and current expenses of the district for the ensuing year, and the board of directors shall certify to the county commissioners the amount of the credits, and levy as provided for in Chapter 73, Articles 10 and 11 NMSA 1978 shall be made accordingly.
H. The term "asset" as used in this section includes any and all grants, rights, powers, privileges and appropriations conferred by law and upon any water users' association and upon taking over the assets of any water users' association as provided in Chapter 73, Articles 10 and 11 NMSA 1978 by any irrigation district. The district shall succeed to all such grants, rights, powers, privileges and appropriations, and the officers of the irrigation district are authorized and empowered to perform such duties and execute such instruments in regard thereto as the law required of the officers of the water users' association.
History: Laws 1919, ch. 20, § 21; 1921, ch. 39, § 3; C.S. 1929, § 73-122; 1941 Comp., § 77-2329; Laws 1953, ch. 23, § 1; 1953 Comp., § 75-24-29; Laws 1998, ch. 55, § 89; 1999, ch. 265, § 91.
Compiler's notes. — The final decree in the case of New Mexico v. Texas, referred to in Subsection C, was rendered April 9, 1928, 276 U.S. 558, 48 S. Ct. 344, 72 L. Ed. 699 (1928), and reports of the boundary commissioner approved March 23, 1931, 283 U.S. 788, 51 S. Ct. 357, 75 L. Ed. 1415 (1931).
Cross references. — For repayment of loans, see 73-13-9 NMSA 1978.
For notice by publication, see 14-11-1 NMSA 1978 et seq.
For appeals to district court, see 39-3-1 and 39-3-2 NMSA 1978.
For procedures governing administrative appeals to the district court, see Rule 1-074 NMRA.
The 1999 amendment, effective July 1, 1999, substituted "Section 39-3-1.1" for "Section 12-8A-1" in Subsection F.
The 1998 amendment, effective September 1, 1998, rewrote this section to the extent that a detailed comparison is impracticable.
Board conferred with broad discretionary powers. — In construing this section, in view of the large discretionary powers conferred upon the board and without which the corporation could not successfully operate, we are not bound to that strictness which applies when determining the powers of municipal corporations. Stahmann v. Elephant Butte Irrigation Dist., 1956-NMSC-033, 61 N.M. 68, 294 P.2d 636.
Directors may budget based on costs estimated to accrue within year. — Directors of irrigation district may properly include in its estimates and the resulting tax levy the cost of operation and maintenance for the ensuing year, though demand for payment thereof might not be made during the ensuing year. Sperry v. Elephant Butte Irrigation Dist., 1928-NMSC-043, 33 N.M. 482, 270 P. 889.
Research, water protection costs not chargeable to operation and maintenance. — Irrigation district may not include in item three of this section (now Subsection B(3)) for "operation and maintenance" estimated cost of research and investigation with a view to development of hydroelectric power, nor cost of protecting its water supply and rights, which estimates for cost of research and investigation and for cost of protecting water supply and rights belong to item four of this section (now Subsection B(4)). Sperry v. Elephant Butte Irrigation Dist., 1928-NMSC-043, 33 N.M. 482, 270 P. 889.
Declaration of reason for assessment not required. — It was not essential to validity of assessments levied for excess waters used that any specific reason therefor, such as cost of furnishing same, benefits conferred or conservation of water, be declared the purpose of the levy. Stahmann v. Elephant Butte Irrigation Dist., 1956-NMSC-033, 61 N.M. 68, 294 P.2d 636.
Boundary establishment not bar to tax exemption. — The establishment of boundaries of an irrigation district by order of county commissioners, construed as a benefit to the district, do not preclude exemption of the land from taxation according to exemption provisions. Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Ry. v. Elephant Butte Irrigation Dist., 110 F.2d 767 (10th Cir. 1940).
Am. Jur. 2d, A.L.R. and C.J.S. references. — 45 Am. Jur. 2d Irrigation §§ 70 to 72.
94 C.J.S. Waters § 334.

Structure New Mexico Statutes