(a) Authority.--Unless otherwise provided for in this part, a city is authorized to assess all or any portion of the costs of a public improvement, including any related administrative fees, against any properties that are benefited by the public improvement.

(b) Payment of costs.--Unless otherwise provided in this chapter, in addition to the authority to assess the cost of public improvements against properties benefited, a city may pay for the cost of public improvements, in whole or in part, from the city general fund or, if authorized, from a special city fund dedicated to that purpose.

(c) Indebtedness.--If a city incurs indebtedness pursuant to 53 Pa.C.S. Pt. VII Subpt. B¹ (relating to indebtedness and borrowing) for the purposes of funding the cost and expense of making public improvements for which assessments are made in accordance with this chapter, payments made on the assessments must be applied to pay the debt service for the indebtedness incurred for funding the cost and expense of making the public improvements.