Section 53317.

Unless the context otherwise requires, the definitions contained in this article shall govern the construction of this chapter.

(a) "Clerk" means the clerk of the legislative body of a local agency.

(b) "Community facilities district" means a legally constituted governmental entity established pursuant to this chapter for the sole purpose of financing facilities and services.

(c) "Cost" means the expense of constructing or purchasing the public facility and of related land, right-of-way, easements, including incidental expenses, and the cost of providing authorized services, including incidental expenses.

(d) "Debt" means any binding obligation to pay or repay a sum of money, including obligations in the form of bonds, certificates of participation, long-term leases, loans from government agencies, or loans from banks, other financial institutions, private businesses, or individuals, or long-term contracts.

(e) "Incidental expense" includes all of the following:

(1) The cost of planning and designing public facilities to be financed pursuant to this chapter, including the cost of environmental evaluations of those facilities.

(2) The costs associated with the creation of the district, issuance of bonds, determination of the amount of taxes, collection of taxes, payment of taxes, or costs otherwise incurred in order to carry out the authorized purposes of the district.

(3) Any other expenses incidental to the construction, completion, and inspection of the authorized work.

(f) "Landowner" or "owner of land" means any person shown as the owner of land on the last equalized assessment roll or otherwise known to be the owner of the land by the legislative body. The legislative body has no obligation to obtain other information as to the ownership of the land, and its determination of ownership shall be final and conclusive for the purposes of this chapter. A public agency is not a landowner or owner of land for purposes of this chapter, unless one of the following exists:

(1) The land owned by a public agency would be subject to a special tax pursuant to Section 53340.1.

(2) The public agency has acquired the property by purchase or negotiation in connection with foreclosure of a special tax lien and it is intended that the property will be transferred to private ownership.

(3) The public agency states in the proceedings that its land is intended to be transferred to private ownership and provides in the proceedings that its land will be subject to the special tax on the same basis as private property within the district and affirmatively waives any defense based on the fact of public ownership, to any action to foreclose on the property in the event of nonpayment of the special tax.

(4) The land owned by a public agency is within the territory of a military base that is closed or is being closed.

(g) "Legislative body" means the legislative body or governing board of any local agency.

(h) "Local agency" means any city or county, whether general law or chartered, special district, school district, joint powers entity created pursuant to Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 6500) of Division 7 of Title 1, redevelopment agency, or any other municipal corporation, district, or political subdivision of the state.

(i) "Rate" means a single rate of tax or a schedule of rates.

(j) "Services" means the provision of categories of services identified in Section 53313. "Services" includes the performance by employees of functions, operations, maintenance, and repair activities. "Services" does not include activities or facilities identified in Section 53313.5.

(Amended by Stats. 2007, Ch. 670, Sec. 63. Effective January 1, 2008.)