SF 3159

as introduced - 80th Legislature (1997 - 1998) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; modifying building construction 
  1.3             down payment program; amending Minnesota Statutes 
  1.4             1996, section 124.82, subdivision 3, and 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 124.82, 
  1.8   subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
  1.9      Subd. 3.  [FACILITIES DOWN PAYMENT LEVY REFERENDUM.] A 
  1.10  district may levy the local tax rate approved by a majority of 
  1.11  the electors voting on the question to provide funds for a down 
  1.12  payment for an approved project.  The election must take place 
  1.13  no more than five ten years before the estimated date of 
  1.14  commencement of the project.  The referendum must be held on a 
  1.15  date set by the school board.  A referendum for a project not 
  1.16  receiving a positive review and comment by the commissioner 
  1.17  under section 121.15 must be approved by at least 60 percent of 
  1.18  the voters at the election.  The referendum may be called by the 
  1.19  school board and may be held: 
  1.20     (1) separately, before an election for the issuance of 
  1.21  obligations for the project under chapter 475; or 
  1.22     (2) in conjunction with an election for the issuance of 
  1.23  obligations for the project under chapter 475; or 
  1.24     (3) notwithstanding section 475.59, as a conjunctive 
  1.25  question authorizing both the down payment levy and the issuance 
  2.1   of obligations for the project under chapter 475.  Any 
  2.2   obligations authorized for a project may be issued within five 
  2.3   ten years of the date of the election. 
  2.4      The ballot must provide a general description of the 
  2.5   proposed project, state the estimated total cost of the project, 
  2.6   state whether the project has received a positive or negative 
  2.7   review and comment from the commissioner of children, families, 
  2.8   and learning, state the maximum amount of the down payment levy 
  2.9   as a percentage of net tax capacity, not to exceed $250 per 
  2.10  actual pupil unit, state the amount that will be raised by that 
  2.11  local tax rate in the first year it is to be levied, and state 
  2.12  the maximum number of years that the levy authorization will 
  2.13  apply. 
  2.14     The ballot must contain a textual portion with the 
  2.15  information required in this section and a question stating 
  2.16  substantially the following: 
  2.17     "Shall the down payment levy proposed by the board of 
  2.18  .......... School District No. .......... be approved?" 
  2.19     If approved, The amount provided by the approved local tax 
  2.20  rate applied to the net tax capacity for the year preceding the 
  2.21  year the levy is certified may be certified for the number of 
  2.22  years approved. 
  2.23     In the event a conjunctive question proposes to authorize 
  2.24  both the down payment levy and the issuance of obligations for 
  2.25  the project, appropriate language authorizing the issuance of 
  2.26  obligations must also be included in the question.  
  2.27     The district must notify the commissioner of children, 
  2.28  families, and learning of the results of the referendum. 
  2.29     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 124.82, is 
  2.30  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  2.31     Subd. 5.  [EQUALIZATION AID ADJUSTMENT.] In the year prior 
  2.32  to construction, the balance in the down payment account under 
  2.33  subdivision 1 shall be matched with a state-aid payment as if 
  2.34  the balance was an annual amount of debt service equalization 
  2.35  revenue according to section 124.95.