So, you want to have your roads improved. Read below to find out how Marion County MSTU/Assessment works with property owners on requests for road assessments.

Making a request for a road assessment

Applications for a road assessment must be presented to MSTU/Assessment by a legally-constituted homeowners' association or civic association (number of members shall not be a factor) or a petition signed by 10 percent of the association's property owners. All applications must be accompanied by payment of up to $500.

Upon receipt, MSTU/Assessment staff shall conduct an initial meeting with the applicant(s) and determine if the
proposal appears feasible and/or if additional information is required before petitions can be sent out to all assessable property owners who would be affected. Please note: feasibility does not mean the financial ability of the property owner to pay.

Circulation, mailing and processing of petitions
County staff will mail petitions using certified mail with return receipt. A self-addressed, stamped envelope shall also be included along with a map of the proposed project area, petition and information sheet. The petition shall contain a statement indicating that it must be returned no later than 60 calendar days from date of mailing. The petitions shall specify the assessment method (see last section of this page). The County Commission, however, retains the authority to modify the assessment methodology if necessary. The petitions shall be returned to the Clerk of Court's internal auditor for counting and the auditor will provide the results of the count to the MSTU/Assessment director. Please note: petitions cannot be hand-delivered to either MSTU/Assessment or the county auditor; they must be returned by mail in the self-addressed envelope provided.

For recorded and unrecorded subdivisions, only responses postmarked by the petition deadline will be considered when calculating property owners for and against the project. A list of those property owners who did not respond will be provided to the County Commission at the final public hearing.


Following receipt and tabulation of petition responses, the assessment director shall determine if there is sufficient support for the original proposed project area or for a revised project area to be presented to the County Commission for consideration. The commission considers petition responses as a measure of the initial level of support for a project, and reserves the right to determine the final project area. It may, after reviewing the results of the petition, enact an assessment to include the entire subdivision or any unit, phase, portion or street of a subdivision, if deemed feasible and in the best interest of the public.

Road improvement schedule

Commencement of construction shall begin approximately 4-6 weeks after the date of the final public hearing. Value engineering may be used to reduce the cost of the road construction project; this process may reduce the cost of MSTU project.

Assessment methods and payment

Two methods are currently used to assess properties in road assessment projects (but other methods may be used):
1) Per front footage.
2) Per parcel (platted lot).

Payment of assessment(s) will extend over a period of time to be determined by the County Commission. Under typical circumstances, such time shall be 10 years.