1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to local government; clarifying that the town 
  1.3             of Silver may elect to join the Moose Lake area fire 
  1.4             protection district in whole but not in part; 
  1.5             authorizing issuance of equipment certificates by the 
  1.6             fire protection district; amending Laws 1987, chapter 
  1.7             402, section 2, subdivisions 1, 4, and 5. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  Laws 1987, chapter 402, section 2, subdivision 
  1.10  1, is amended to read: 
  1.11     Subdivision 1.  [AGREEMENT.] The city of Moose Lake and one 
  1.12  or more of the towns of Moose Lake, Silver, and Windemere may by 
  1.13  action of their city council and town boards establish the Moose 
  1.14  Lake fire protection district.  ~~The town of Silver may provide~~ 
  1.15  ~~that only a described part of its territory be included within~~ 
  1.16  ~~the district.~~  The district shall provide fire protection 
  1.17  services throughout its territory and may exercise all the 
  1.18  powers of the city and towns that relate to fire protection 
  1.19  anywhere within its territory.  Any other contiguous town or 
  1.20  home rule charter or statutory city may join the district with 
  1.21  the agreement of the cities and towns that comprise the district 
  1.22  at the time of its application to join.  Action to join the 
  1.23  district may be taken by the city council or town board of the 
  1.24  city or town.  
  1.25     Sec. 2.  Laws 1987, chapter 402, section 2, subdivision 4, 
  1.26  is amended to read: 
  2.1      Subd. 4.  [TAX.] The district may impose a property tax on 
  2.2   real property in the district in an amount sufficient to 
  2.3   discharge its operating expenses and debt payable in each year. 
  2.4   The tax shall be disregarded in the calculation of any levies or 
  2.5   limits on levies provided by Minnesota Statutes, chapter 275, or 
  2.6   other law.  A city or town that joins the district may not incur 
  2.7   expenses or debt for fire protection services for territory 
  2.8   included in the district and may not impose taxes for that 
  2.9   purpose.  ~~The town of Silver may impose a property tax on~~ 
  2.10  ~~territory not included in the district to discharge costs or~~ 
  2.11  ~~debt incurred to provide fire protection services to that~~ 
  2.12  ~~territory.~~  
  2.13     Sec. 3.  Laws 1987, chapter 402, section 2, subdivision 5, 
  2.14  is amended to read: 
  2.15     Subd. 5.  [PUBLIC INDEBTEDNESS.] The district may incur 
  2.16  debt in the manner provided for a municipality by Minnesota 
  2.17  Statutes, chapter 475, when necessary to accomplish a duty 
  2.18  charged to it.  The district may also issue certificates of 
  2.19  indebtedness subject to debt limits for the district to purchase 
  2.20  capital equipment having an expected useful life at least as 
  2.21  long as the terms of the certificates.  The certificates must be 
  2.22  payable in not more than five years and must be issued on the 
  2.23  terms and in the manner as the board may determine.  Before 
  2.24  issuing certificates in an amount exceeding .25 percent of the 
  2.25  taxable property of the district, the board shall publish a 
  2.26  resolution indicating its intent to issue the certificates in a 
  2.27  newspaper of general circulation in the district.  The 
  2.28  certificates may be issued without an election unless within ten 
  2.29  days of the publication a petition signed by the sum of at least 
  2.30  ten percent of the voters in the member towns voting in the last 
  2.31  regular town election and ten percent of the voters of the city 
  2.32  voting in the last city general election requesting an election 
  2.33  on their issuance is filed with the board.  If a petition is 
  2.34  filed, the certificates may not be issued unless their issuance 
  2.35  is approved by a majority of the voters at a general or special 
  2.36  election in which all the residents of the city and member towns 
  3.1   are eligible to vote.  A tax levy shall be made against all 
  3.2   property in the district to pay the principal and interest on 
  3.3   the certificates, in accordance with Minnesota Statutes, section 
  3.4   475.61, as in the case of bonds.  
  3.5      Sec. 4.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  3.6      Pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, section 645.023, 
  3.7   subdivision 1, clause (a), sections 1 to 3 are effective without 
  3.8   local approval the day following final enactment.