7-6-2512. County tax levy for health care facilities. (1) Subject to 15-10-420, the board of county commissioners may, annually at the time of levying county taxes, fix and levy a tax upon all property within the county to erect, furnish, equip, expand, improve, maintain, and operate county-owned or county-operated health care facilities created under 7-8-2102, 7-34-2201, and 7-34-2502. "Health care facilities" as used in this section has the meaning as defined in 7-34-2201. If a hospital district is created under Title 7, chapter 34, part 21, the mill levy authorized by this section may not be imposed on property within that hospital district.

(2) If a county issues bonds under 7-34-2411 to finance or refinance the costs of a health care facility, the board of county commissioners may covenant to levy the tax authorized by this section during the term of the bonds, to the extent necessary, and to apply the collections of the tax to the costs of erecting, furnishing, equipping, expanding, improving, maintaining, and operating the health care facility or facilities of the county or the payment of principal of or interest on the bonds. The pledge of the taxes to the payment of the bonds may not cause the bonds to be considered indebtedness of the county for the purpose of any statutory limitation or restriction. The pledge may be made by the board only upon authorization of a majority of the electors of the county voting on the pledge at a general or special election as provided in 7-34-2414.