1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to taxation; allowing for joint truth in 
  1.3             taxation hearings to be held in some cases; amending 
  1.4             Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 275.065, by adding a 
  1.5             subdivision. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 275.065, is 
  1.8   amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  1.9      Subd. 6b.  [JOINT PUBLIC HEARINGS.] Notwithstanding any 
  1.10  other provision of law, any city with a population of 10,000 and 
  1.11  over, may conduct a more comprehensive public hearing than is 
  1.12  contained in subdivision 6 by including a board member from the 
  1.13  county, a board member from the school district located within 
  1.14  the city's boundary, and the member or the member's designee of 
  1.15  the metropolitan council for the district in which the city is 
  1.16  located, if the city is in the metropolitan area, as defined in 
  1.17  section 473.121, subdivision 2, at the city's public hearing.  
  1.18  All provisions regarding the public hearings under subdivision 6 
  1.19  are applicable to the joint public hearings under this 
  1.20  subdivision. 
  1.21     Upon the adoption of a resolution by the governing body of 
  1.22  the city to hold a joint hearing, the city shall notify the 
  1.23  county, the school district, and the metropolitan council if the 
  1.24  city is in the metropolitan area, of the decision to hold a 
  1.25  joint public hearing and require a board member, and the member 
  2.1   or the designee of the metropolitan council, from each of those 
  2.2   taxing authorities to be at the joint hearing.  If the city is 
  2.3   located in more than one county, the city may choose to require 
  2.4   a county board member from each county or only from the county 
  2.5   containing the majority of the city's market value.  If more 
  2.6   than one school district is partially or totally located within 
  2.7   the city, the city may choose to require a school district board 
  2.8   member from each school district, or a board member only from 
  2.9   the school district containing the majority of the city's market 
  2.10  value.  If, as a result of requests under this subdivision, 
  2.11  there are not sufficient board members in the county or the 
  2.12  school district to attend the joint hearing, the county or 
  2.13  school district may send a nonelected person working for its 
  2.14  taxing authority to speak on the authority's behalf.  The city 
  2.15  may also invite each state senator and representative who 
  2.16  represents the city, or a portion of the city, to come to the 
  2.17  joint hearing. 
  2.18     The primary purpose of the joint hearing is to discuss the 
  2.19  city's budget and property tax levy.  However, the county and 
  2.20  school district officials, and metropolitan council 
  2.21  representative if the city is in the metropolitan area should be 
  2.22  prepared to answer questions relevant to its budget and levy and 
  2.23  the effect that its levy has on the property owners in the city. 
  2.24     If a city conducts a hearing under this subdivision, this 
  2.25  hearing is in lieu of the initial hearing required under 
  2.26  subdivision 6.  However, the city is still required to adopt its 
  2.27  proposed property tax levy at a subsequent hearing as provided 
  2.28  under subdivision 6.  The hearings under this subdivision do not 
  2.29  relieve a county, school district, or the metropolitan council 
  2.30  of the requirement to hold its individual hearing under 
  2.31  subdivision 6. 
  2.32     Sec. 2.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  2.33     Section 1 is effective for joint public hearings held in 
  2.34  1997 and thereafter, for taxes payable in 1998 and thereafter.