1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to metropolitan government; establishing the 
  1.3             legislative commission on metropolitan government; 
  1.4             providing for oversight of the metropolitan council's 
  1.5             operating and capital budgets, work program, and 
  1.6             capital improvement program; proposing coding for new 
  1.7             law in Minnesota Statutes, chapters 3; and 473. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  [3.99] [LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION ON METROPOLITAN 
  1.10  GOVERNMENT.] 
  1.11     Subdivision 1.  [ESTABLISHED.] The legislative commission 
  1.12  on metropolitan government is established to oversee the 
  1.13  metropolitan council's operating and capital budgets, work 
  1.14  program, and capital improvement program. 
  1.15     Subd. 2.  [MEMBERSHIP.] The commission consists of four 
  1.16  senators appointed by the senate subcommittee on committees of 
  1.17  the committee on rules and administration, three senators 
  1.18  appointed by the senate minority leader, four state 
  1.19  representatives appointed by the speaker of the house, and three 
  1.20  state representatives appointed by the house minority leader. 
  1.21  All members must reside in or represent a portion of the 
  1.22  seven-county metropolitan area.  The appointing authorities 
  1.23  shall insure balanced geographic representation.  Each 
  1.24  appointing authority shall make appointments as soon as possible 
  1.25  after the opening of the next regular session of the legislature 
  1.26  in each odd-numbered year. 
  2.1      Subd. 3.  [TERMS; VACANCIES.] Members of the commission 
  2.2   serve for a two-year term beginning upon appointment and 
  2.3   expiring upon appointment of a successor after the opening of 
  2.4   the next regular session of the legislature in the odd-numbered 
  2.5   year.  A vacancy in the membership of the commission shall be 
  2.6   filled for the unexpired term in a manner that will preserve the 
  2.7   representation established by this section. 
  2.8      Subd. 4.  [CHAIR.] The commission shall meet as soon as 
  2.9   practicable after members are appointed in each odd-numbered 
  2.10  year to elect its chair and other officers as it may determine 
  2.11  necessary.  A chair shall serve a two-year term, expiring in the 
  2.12  odd-numbered year after a successor is elected.  The chair shall 
  2.13  alternate biennially between the senate and the house. 
  2.14     Subd. 5.  [COMPENSATION.] Members serve without 
  2.15  compensation but may be reimbursed for their reasonable expenses 
  2.16  as members of the legislature. 
  2.17     Subd. 6.  [STAFF.] Legislative staff shall provide 
  2.18  administrative and research assistance to the commission. 
  2.19     Subd. 7.  [MEETINGS; PROCEDURES.] The commission shall meet 
  2.20  at the call of the chair.  If there is a quorum, the commission 
  2.21  may take action by a simple majority vote of commission members 
  2.22  present. 
  2.23     Subd. 8.  [POWERS; DUTIES; METROPOLITAN COUNCIL LEVY, 
  2.24  BUDGET OVERSIGHT.] The commission shall monitor, review, and 
  2.25  make recommendations to the metropolitan council and to the 
  2.26  legislature for the following calendar year on: 
  2.27     (1) the tax rate and dollar amount of the metropolitan 
  2.28  council's property tax levies and any proposed increases in the 
  2.29  rate or dollar amount of tax; 
  2.30     (2) any request for an increase in the debt of the 
  2.31  metropolitan council; 
  2.32     (3) the overall work and role of the metropolitan council; 
  2.33     (4) the metropolitan council's proposed operating and 
  2.34  capital budgets, work program, and capital improvement program; 
  2.35  and 
  2.36     (5) the metropolitan council's implementation of the 
  3.1   operating and capital budgets, work program, and capital 
  3.2   improvement program. 
  3.3      Subd. 9.  [POWERS; DUTIES; METROPOLITAN COUNCIL 
  3.4   APPOINTMENTS OVERSIGHT.] The commission shall monitor 
  3.5   appointments to the metropolitan council and may make 
  3.6   recommendations on appointments to the nominating committee 
  3.7   under section 473.123, subdivision 3, or to the governor before 
  3.8   the governor makes the appointments.  The commission may also 
  3.9   make recommendations to the senate before appointments are 
  3.10  presented to the senate for its advice and consent. 
  3.11     Sec. 2.  [473.246] [LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION ON METROPOLITAN 
  3.12  GOVERNMENT; REVIEW.] 
  3.13     The metropolitan council shall submit to the legislative 
  3.14  commission on metropolitan government information on the 
  3.15  council's tax rates and dollar amounts levied for the current 
  3.16  year, proposed property tax rates and levies, operating and 
  3.17  capital budgets, work program, capital improvement program, and 
  3.18  any other information requested by the commission, for review by 
  3.19  the legislative commission, as provided in section 3.99. 
  3.20     Sec. 3.  [APPLICATION.] 
  3.21     Section 2 applies in the counties of Anoka, Carver, Dakota, 
  3.22  Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, and Washington.