HF 4158

as introduced - 85th Legislature (2007 - 2008) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

A bill for an act
relating to taxation; authorizing St. Louis County to impose a mortgage and deed
tax; creating an environmental response fund; proposing coding for new law
in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 383C.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

new text begin [383C.798] COUNTY DEED AND MORTGAGE TAX.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Authority to impose; rate. new text end

new text begin (a) The governing body of St. Louis
County may impose a mortgage registry and deed tax.
new text end

new text begin (b) The rate of the mortgage registry tax equals .0001 of the principal.
new text end

new text begin (c) The rate of the deed tax equals .0001 of the amount.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin General law provisions apply. new text end

new text begin The taxes under this section apply to
the same base and must be imposed, collected, administered, and enforced in the same
manner as provided under chapter 287 for the state mortgage registry and deed taxes.
All the provisions of chapter 287 apply to these taxes, except the rate is as specified in
subdivision 1, the term "St. Louis County" must be substituted for "the state," and the
revenue must be deposited as provided in subdivision 3.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Deposit of revenues. new text end

new text begin All revenues from the tax are for the use of the
St. Louis County Board of Commissioners and must be deposited in the county's
environmental response fund under section 383C.799.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Initial implementation. new text end

new text begin Documents presented for recording within 60
days after the date of imposition of the tax by the county that are acknowledged, sworn to
before a notary, or certified before the imposition date, must not be rejected for failure to
include the tax imposed under this section.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Expiration. new text end

new text begin The authority to impose the tax under this section expires
January 1, 2013.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end

Sec. 2.

new text begin [383C.799] ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSE FUND.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Creation. new text end

new text begin An environmental response fund is created for the
purposes specified in this section. The taxes imposed under section 383C.798 must be
deposited in the fund. The Board of County Commissioners shall administer the fund
either as a county board or a housing and redevelopment authority.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Uses of fund. new text end

new text begin The fund created in subdivision 1 must be used for the
following purposes:
new text end

new text begin (1) payment of one-half of the annual debt service on bonds issued by the
Duluth-North Shore Sanitary District, series 2002, to pay the cost of constructing the
sanitary sewer collection system, until those obligations have been paid, or $4,500,000 has
been provided for this purpose under this clause, whichever occurs first; money remaining
in the fund after payment of the annual debt service under this clause may be expended for
the purposes in clauses (2) to (5);
new text end

new text begin (2) acquisition through purchase or condemnation of lands or property which are
polluted or contaminated with hazardous substances;
new text end

new text begin (3) paying the costs associated with indemnifying or holding harmless the
entity taking title to lands or property from any liability arising out of the ownership,
remediation, or use of the land or property;
new text end

new text begin (4) paying for the costs of remediating the acquired land or property; or
new text end

new text begin (5) paying the costs associated with remediating lands or property which are polluted
or contaminated with hazardous substances.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Matching funds. new text end

new text begin In expending funds under this section, the county shall
seek matching funds from contamination cleanup funds administered by the commissioner
of the Department of Employment and Economic Development, the federal government,
the private sector, and any other source.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Bonds. new text end

new text begin The county may pledge the proceeds from the taxes imposed by
section 383C.798 to bonds issued under this section and chapters 462, 469, and 475.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Land sales. new text end

new text begin Land or property acquired under this section may be resold
at fair market value. Proceeds from the sale of the land must be deposited in the
environmental response fund.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end

Sec. 3. new text begin ST. LOUIS COUNTY; DEBT SERVICE FOR SANITARY DISTRICT
BONDS.
new text end

new text begin In any year in which the revenues derived from the mortgage and deed tax imposed
under Minnesota Statutes, section 383C.799, are insufficient to pay when due one-half of
the debt service on the Duluth-North Shore Sanitary District bonds, series 2002, which
were sold to pay for construction of the sanitary sewer collection system, St. Louis County
must provide to the Duluth-North Shore Sanitary District any additional amount sufficient
to pay the debt service. Total payments for all years under Minnesota Statutes, section
383C.799, and this section must not exceed $4,500,000.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end