Houston County officials may pave streets, create paving rules, levy reasonable fees, assess improvement costs up to the property’s special-benefit value, issue bonds, and contract for the work; property owners may pay assessments under general law.
(a) The county governing body or its road maintenance department or agency shall have the authority to pave any streets within Houston County. The county governing body or its duly authorized agency is hereby authorized to establish and maintain such a program of paving streets, specifically within subdivisions; including, but not limited to, authorization to set and collect reasonable fees for such services and improvements. (b) The county governing body is hereby authorized to set up and create within its road maintenance department rules and regulations regarding proper notification to adjoining land owners of the intention of the county to perform any work or labor upon or furnish any material for any paving, curb, gutter, storm sewer, sanitary sewer, or other improvement in or on any public or dedicated street, avenue, alley, or other public way, or thoroughfare; and upon completion thereof shall have a lien therefor on such abutting land and improvements thereof. (c) Whenever Houston County shall establish, construct, or reconstruct, improve or reimprove a public highway, street, or avenue, it may assess such proportionate cost of the establishment, construction, reconstruction, improvement or reimprovement of such streets, avenues, or highways against the property benefited thereby, but such cost shall not exceed the increased value of such property by reason of the special benefits derived from such improvements. (d) Houston County shall have a lien on the lots or parcels of land so assessed as provided by the general laws covering assessment liens for public improvements, and property owners shall have the right to pay such assessments as provided by the general laws. (e) Houston County may issue bonds of the county for the improvements mentioned in the section to pay the cost of such public improvements agreed to be paid by the county, and may contract to build or construct such streets, highways, or avenues and to pay therefor in the same manner as private contractors are now paid. (f) The proceeding under this section shall be held and governed by the general laws of the State of Alabama relating to assessments against property for public improvements insofar as the laws are applicable.