1999 Minnesota Statutes

     473.897 Finance. 

    Subdivision 1.    Budget preparation; review and approval. 
  The board shall prepare a proposed budget by August 1 of each 
 year.  The budget shall include operating revenues and 
 expenditures for operation, administration, and maintenance.  In 
 addition, the budget must show for each fiscal year of the state 
 biennium: 

    (1) the estimated operating revenues from all sources 
 including funds on hand at the beginning of the year, and 
 estimated expenditures for costs of operation, administration, 
 maintenance, and debt service; 

    (2) capital improvement funds estimated to be on hand at 
 the beginning of the year and estimated to be received during 
 the year from all sources and estimated cost of capital 
 improvements to be paid out or expended during the year, all in 
 such detail and form as the council may prescribe; and 

    (3) the estimated source and use of pass-through funds. 

    As early as practicable before August 15 of each year, the 
 board shall hold a public hearing on a draft of the proposed 
 budget.  Along with the draft, the board shall publish a report 
 on user charges.  The report must include an estimated analysis 
 of the changes in user charges, rates, and fees that will be 
 required by the board's budget.  Not less than 14 days before 
 the hearing, the board shall publish notice of the hearing in a 
 newspaper having general circulation in the metropolitan area, 
 stating the date, time, and place of hearing, and the place 
 where the proposed budget and report on user charges may be 
 examined by any interested person.  

    Following the hearing, the board shall publish a report of 
 the hearing that summarizes the comments received and board's 
 response.  The council shall approve or disapprove the entire 
 budget by October 1 of each year.  The council may disapprove 
 only if the budget does not have adequate reserves to meet debt 
 service.  If the council disapproves the budget in accordance 
 with this subdivision, the board shall, by November 1, resubmit 
 to the council for approval, a budget which meets the 
 requirements for council approval as provided in this 
 subdivision.  The council shall approve or disapprove the entire 
 resubmitted budget by December 1.  

    Before December 15 of each year, the board shall, by 
 resolution, adopt a final budget.  The board shall file its 
 final budget with the council on or before December 20 of each 
 year.  The council shall file the budgets with the secretary of 
 the senate and the clerk of the house of representatives not 
 later than January 1 of each year.  Before adoption, the board 
 must submit any budget amendment which would affect debt service 
 reserves to the council for review.  The council has 15 days to 
 approve or disapprove the amendment.  The council shall 
 disapprove the budget amendment only if the budget does not have 
 adequate reserves to meet debt service. 

    Except in an emergency, for which procedures must be 
 established by the board, the board and its officers, agents, 
 and employees may not spend money for any purpose, other than 
 debt service, without an appropriation by the board, and no 
 obligation to make such an expenditure shall be enforceable 
 except as the obligation of the person or persons incurring it.  
 The creation of any debt obligation or the receipt of any 
 federal or state grant is a sufficient appropriation of the 
 proceeds for the purpose for which it is authorized, and of the 
 tax or other revenues pledged to pay the obligation and interest 
 on it whether or not specifically included in any annual budget. 
 After obtaining the approval of the council, the board may amend 
 the budget at any time by transferring any appropriation from 
 one purpose to another, except appropriations of the proceeds of 
 bonds issued for a specific purpose.  The council shall 
 disapprove only if the amended budget does not have adequate 
 reserves to meet debt service. 

    Subd. 2.    Program evaluation.  The budget procedure of 
 the board must include a substantive assessment and evaluation 
 of the effectiveness of each significant part of the regionwide 
 public safety radio communication system implementation plan 
 adopted by the board with, to the extent possible, quantitative 
 information on the status, progress, costs, benefits, and 
 effects of each program.  

    The board shall transmit the evaluation to the metropolitan 
 council annually. 

    Subd. 3.    Council report to legislature.  Biennially 
 the council shall submit a report to the legislature detailing 
 the board's activities and finances for the previous year, the 
 extent to which the system has been expanded beyond the 
 metropolitan area, and the appropriateness of transferring 
 responsibility for the metropolitan radio board to a state 
 agency. 

    Subd. 4.    Resale of services or capacity prohibited.  
 Neither the council, the board, or any local government unit may 
 resell any service or capacity of this system to a nonpublic 
 entity, except for those private entities eligible to hold 
 Federal Communications Commission licenses in the public safety 
 and special emergency radio services, as defined in the Code of 
 Federal Regulations, title 47, part 90 (1994). 

    HIST: 1995 c 195 art 1 s 7