§ 45-2281 — Establishment of funds; allocation of authority revenues; member dues; applicability

A. On the authority's formation, a grant fund, a water acquisition fund and an operating fund are established. The authority's revenues shall be deposited in and disbursed from the funds as provided by this section. Revenues deposited in the grant fund may be used to make grants to authority members for water acquisition, water conservation and water reuse. Revenues deposited in the water acquisition fund may be used to acquire water pursuant to section 45-2245. Revenues deposited in the operating fund shall be used as provided in subsection E of this section.

B. Except as provided in subsection D of this section and for an authority that is formed in a county that contains a portion of the Harquahala irrigation non-expansion area and that does not contain any portion of an active management area, all revenues of the authority shall be deposited in the grant fund except the following:

1. Dues paid by authority members which shall be deposited in the operating fund.

2. Ten percent of all amounts paid by municipal subcontractors under subcontracts entered into as provided in section 45-2244, subsection B which may be deposited in the operating fund or the water acquisition fund as determined by the board.

3. Fifty percent of all amounts paid by subcontractors of the authority pursuant to subcontracts entered into as provided in section 45-2244, subsection E or F.

4. That portion of the monies earned by the authority under subcontracts entered into pursuant to section 45-2245, subsection H that is equal to the cost to the authority of obtaining the water transferred under those subcontracts and, after payment of $7,500,000 as adjusted pursuant to subsection C of this section, all of the monies earned from those subcontracts.

C. Except as provided in subsection B of this section, all of the authority's revenues shall be deposited in the grant fund until the full amount of the initial grant and any additional amounts required in a grant agreement between the authority and the member that receives the grant have been disbursed from the grant fund as provided in this subsection. The initial grant from the grant fund shall be made to the authority member that transferred, or caused to be transferred, to the authority the right to the delivery of eighteen thousand five hundred acre-feet per year of Colorado River water in connection with the authority's formation. The amount of the grant to that member shall equal $7,500,000 plus any additional monies that the authority and the member agree to in a grant agreement between the authority and the member, which amount shall be adjusted annually from the date of the authority's formation either for inflation or as may otherwise be provided in the subcontracts of the authority or in the grant agreement, until the amount of the initial grant required by this subsection and any additional amounts required by the grant agreement are paid in full. The initial grant may be disbursed in a lump sum or in partial payments in accordance with the request of the authority member that is entitled to receive the grant and as revenues become available to the authority and are deposited in the grant fund. The authority member that is entitled to receive the grant may request that disbursements be made whenever revenues have been deposited in the grant fund. Notwithstanding section 45-2282, the authority shall promptly disburse those revenues that are deposited in the fund on receipt of a request from that member.

D. After the disbursement of the full amount of the initial grant and any additional amounts required in a grant agreement of the authority from the grant fund as provided in subsection C of this section, the authority's revenues, except dues paid by authority members, may be deposited in the grant fund, water acquisition fund or operating fund as determined by the board.

E. The authority shall establish a schedule of dues that is sufficient, when aggregated with other monies available for the payment of administrative expenses, to pay the estimated administrative expenses of the authority. Dues shall be assessed and allocated equitably among authority members as determined by the board. All dues received by the authority shall be deposited in the operating fund. Expenditures may be made from the operating fund to pay:

1. The authority's administrative expenses.

2. The costs of the authority's formation including an equitable portion of the costs of the municipal corporation that transferred rights to the delivery of Colorado River water as provided in section 45-2202.

3. The costs associated with holding any entitlement to water acquired by the authority.

4. Subject to subsection C of this section, the costs incurred by the authority in the operation of any project undertaken by the authority pursuant to this chapter.

5. Amounts payable to the United States annually for the right to hold and use the eighteen thousand five hundred acre-feet per year of Colorado River water acquired by the authority pursuant to section 45-2202, subsection C which amounts may include any tax, fee or excise imposed on the sale or transfer of the water.

F. Any authority member that is in arrears in the payment of its dues for more than sixty days shall lose the right of its appointed director to vote on all authority matters until all of the dues that are in arrears are fully paid. An authority member whose dues are in arrears does not lose membership in the authority because of the arrearage.

G. All transportation fees paid to the authority pursuant to section 45-556 may be deposited in the grant fund, water acquisition fund or operating fund established by this section as determined by the board.

H. For an authority that is formed in a county with a population of less than ninety thousand persons, all revenues of the authority shall be deposited in the grant fund, water acquisition fund or operating fund established by this section as determined by the board.