1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to water; authorizing tax levies in 
  1.3             subwatershed units; amending Minnesota Statutes 2000, 
  1.4             section 103B.241, subdivision 1.  
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 103B.241, 
  1.7   subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  1.8      Subdivision 1.  [WATERSHED PLANS AND PROJECTS.] 
  1.9   Notwithstanding chapter 103D, a local government unit or 
  1.10  watershed management organization may levy a tax within the 
  1.11  entire watershed or within a subwatershed unit for plans or 
  1.12  projects within the subwatershed to pay the increased costs of 
  1.13  preparing a plan under sections 103B.231 and 103B.235 or for 
  1.14  projects identified in an approved and adopted plan necessary to 
  1.15  implement the purposes of section 103B.201.  The tax levy must 
  1.16  be certified to the county auditor.  The proceeds of any tax 
  1.17  levied under this section shall be deposited in a separate fund 
  1.18  and expended only for the purposes authorized by this section.  
  1.19  Watershed management organizations and local government units 
  1.20  may accumulate the proceeds of levies as an alternative to 
  1.21  issuing bonds to finance improvements.