1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to local government; authorizing a special 
  1.3             taxing district for emergency medical services in 
  1.4             Carlton and Aitkin counties; authorizing property tax 
  1.5             levies; adding to the list of special taxing 
  1.6             districts; amending Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 
  1.7             275.066. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  [EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES SPECIAL TAXING 
  1.10  DISTRICT.] 
  1.11     Subdivision 1.  [WHO MAY ESTABLISH.] Some or all of the 
  1.12  political subdivisions and unorganized territories within the 
  1.13  Cromwell fire and ambulance services ambulance primary service 
  1.14  area in Carlton and Aitkin counties acting jointly may establish 
  1.15  by resolution of their governing bodies a single special taxing 
  1.16  district for emergency medical services.  A participating 
  1.17  political subdivision or unorganized territory need not abut any 
  1.18  other participating subdivision or unorganized territory to be 
  1.19  in the special taxing district. 
  1.20     Subd. 2.  [BOARD.] The special taxing district under this 
  1.21  section is governed by a board made up initially of 
  1.22  representatives of each participating political subdivision or 
  1.23  unorganized territory in the proportions set out in the 
  1.24  establishing resolution, subject to change as provided in the 
  1.25  district's charter, if any, or in the district's bylaws.  Each 
  1.26  participant's representative serves at the pleasure of that 
  2.1   participant's governing body. 
  2.2      Subd. 3.  [PROPERTY TAX LEVY AUTHORITY.] Each year the 
  2.3   district's board, subject to approval of the county board, may 
  2.4   impose a tax on taxable real and personal property in the 
  2.5   district up to an amount sufficient to discharge its operating 
  2.6   expenses and debt payable in that year.  The county auditors 
  2.7   must spread and collect the taxes, and then remit them to the 
  2.8   district, all in the manner otherwise provided by law for those 
  2.9   duties. 
  2.10     Subd. 4.  [PUBLIC INDEBTEDNESS.] The district may incur 
  2.11  debt in the manner provided for a municipality by Minnesota 
  2.12  Statutes, chapter 475, when necessary to accomplish a duty 
  2.13  charged to it. 
  2.14     Subd. 5.  [USE OF LEVY PROCEEDS.] The proceeds of property 
  2.15  taxes levied under this section may be used to support the 
  2.16  providing of out-of-hospital emergency medical services and 
  2.17  work-related quarters and other facilities including, but not 
  2.18  limited to, ambulance services licensed under Minnesota 
  2.19  Statutes, chapter 144E, and recognized by the district, medical 
  2.20  control functions set out in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 144E, 
  2.21  and communications equipment and systems. 
  2.22     Subd. 6.  [ADVISORY COMMITTEE.] The special taxing district 
  2.23  board under this section must have an advisory committee to 
  2.24  advise the board on issues involving emergency medical services 
  2.25  and EMS communications.  The advisory committee members serve at 
  2.26  the pleasure of the appointing board. 
  2.27     Subd. 7.  [POWERS.] (a) In addition to authority expressly 
  2.28  granted in this section, the special taxing district under this 
  2.29  section may exercise any power that may be exercised by any of 
  2.30  its participating political subdivisions and unorganized 
  2.31  territories, but the special taxing district may only use the 
  2.32  power to do what is necessary or reasonable to support the 
  2.33  services set out in subdivision 5. 
  2.34     (b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a), the district may only 
  2.35  levy the taxes authorized in this section. 
  2.36     Subd. 8.  [ADDITIONS AND WITHDRAWALS.] (a) Additional 
  3.1   eligible political subdivisions and unorganized territories may 
  3.2   be added to a special taxing district under this section as 
  3.3   provided by the board of the district and agreed to in a 
  3.4   resolution of the governing body of the political subdivision or 
  3.5   unorganized territory proposed to be added. 
  3.6      (b) A political subdivision or unorganized territory may 
  3.7   withdraw from the special taxing district under this section by 
  3.8   resolution of its governing body.  The political subdivision or 
  3.9   organized territory must notify the board of the special taxing 
  3.10  district of the withdrawal by providing a copy of the resolution 
  3.11  at least two full calendar years in advance of the proposed 
  3.12  withdrawal.  The taxable property of the withdrawing member is 
  3.13  subject to property taxation for the expenses and debt of the 
  3.14  district through the last of the two full calendar years 
  3.15  following the notice of the withdrawal, unless the board and the 
  3.16  withdrawing member agree otherwise by action of their governing 
  3.17  bodies. 
  3.18     Subd. 9.  [DISSOLUTION.] If the special taxing district is 
  3.19  dissolved, the assets may be assigned to a successor entity, if 
  3.20  any, or otherwise disposed of for public purposes as provided by 
  3.21  law.  The liabilities are the responsibility of the political 
  3.22  subdivisions and unorganized territories who are members of the 
  3.23  district at the time the decision to dissolve is made unless the 
  3.24  board of the district decides otherwise.  The allocation of 
  3.25  liabilities may be made only on a reasonably equitable basis. 
  3.26     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 275.066, is 
  3.27  amended to read: 
  3.28     275.066 [SPECIAL TAXING DISTRICTS; DEFINITION.] 
  3.29     For the purposes of property taxation and property tax 
  3.30  state aids, the term "special taxing districts" includes the 
  3.31  following entities: 
  3.32     (1) watershed districts under chapter 103D; 
  3.33     (2) sanitary districts under sections 115.18 to 115.37; 
  3.34     (3) regional sanitary sewer districts under sections 115.61 
  3.35  to 115.67; 
  3.36     (4) regional public library districts under section 
  4.1   134.201; 
  4.2      (5) park districts under chapter 398; 
  4.3      (6) regional railroad authorities under chapter 398A; 
  4.4      (7) hospital districts under sections 447.31 to 447.38; 
  4.5      (8) St. Cloud metropolitan transit commission under 
  4.6   sections 458A.01 to 458A.15; 
  4.7      (9) Duluth transit authority under sections 458A.21 to 
  4.8   458A.37; 
  4.9      (10) regional development commissions under sections 
  4.10  462.381 to 462.398; 
  4.11     (11) housing and redevelopment authorities under sections 
  4.12  469.001 to 469.047; 
  4.13     (12) port authorities under sections 469.048 to 469.068; 
  4.14     (13) economic development authorities under sections 
  4.15  469.090 to 469.1081; 
  4.16     (14) metropolitan council under sections 473.123 to 
  4.17  473.549; 
  4.18     (15) metropolitan airports commission under sections 
  4.19  473.601 to 473.680; 
  4.20     (16) metropolitan mosquito control commission under 
  4.21  sections 473.701 to 473.716; 
  4.22     (17) Morrison county rural development financing authority 
  4.23  under Laws 1982, chapter 437, section 1; 
  4.24     (18) Croft Historical Park District under Laws 1984, 
  4.25  chapter 502, article 13, section 6; 
  4.26     (19) East Lake county medical clinic district under Laws 
  4.27  1989, chapter 211, sections 1 to 6; 
  4.28     (20) Floodwood area ambulance district under Laws 1993, 
  4.29  chapter 375, article 5, section 39; 
  4.30     (21) Middle Mississippi river watershed management 
  4.31  organization under sections 103B.211 and 103B.241; ~~and~~ 
  4.32     (22) Cromwell emergency medical services special taxing 
  4.33  district in Carlton and Aitkin counties as described and 
  4.34  authorized in this act; and 
  4.35     (23) any other political subdivision of the state of 
  4.36  Minnesota, excluding counties, school districts, cities, and 
  5.1   towns, that has the power to adopt and certify a property tax 
  5.2   levy to the county auditor, as determined by the commissioner of 
  5.3   revenue. 
  5.4      Sec. 3.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  5.5      Sections 1 and 2 are effective the day after their final 
  5.6   enactment.  No local approval is required.