What type of assessment covers costs of public improvements benefiting property owners?

Special assessments are specifically designed to fund public improvements that directly benefit property owners, such as sidewalks, streetlights, or sewer systems. When a local government undertakes a project that enhances the value or livability of a neighborhood, it may levy a special assessment against the properties that stand to gain the most from that project.

This is distinct from homeowner assessments, which usually refer to individual homeowners' dues or fees, often associated with homeowner associations rather than public improvements. Valuation assessments pertain to determining the overall value of a property for tax purposes, and property assessments generally describe the broader process of evaluating properties for tax assessment without focusing on specific improvements.

Thus, the choice of special assessments accurately reflects the targeted nature of funding improvements that enhance properties and their values.