126C.17 Referendum revenue.
Subdivision 1. Referendum allowance. A district's referendum revenue allowance equals the referendum revenue authority for that year divided by its resident marginal cost pupil units for that school year.
Subd. 2. Referendum allowance limit. Notwithstanding subdivision 1, a district's referendum allowance must not exceed the greater of:
(1) the district's referendum allowance for fiscal year 1994;
(2) 25 percent of the formula allowance; or
(3) for a newly reorganized district created after July 1, 1994, the sum of the referendum revenue authority for the reorganizing districts for the fiscal year preceding the reorganization, divided by the sum of the resident marginal cost pupil units of the reorganizing districts for the fiscal year preceding the reorganization.
Subd. 3. Sparsity exception. A district that qualifies for sparsity revenue under section 126C.10 is not subject to a referendum allowance limit.
Subd. 4. Total referendum revenue. The total referendum revenue for each district equals the district's referendum allowance times the resident marginal cost pupil units for the school year.
Subd. 5. Referendum equalization revenue. (a) A district's referendum equalization revenue equals the referendum equalization allowance times the district's resident marginal cost pupil units for that year.
(b) The referendum equalization allowance equals $350 for fiscal year 2000 and $415 for fiscal year 2001 and later.
(c) Referendum equalization revenue must not exceed a district's total referendum revenue for that year.
Subd. 6. Referendum equalization levy. (a) A district's referendum equalization levy for a referendum levied against the referendum market value of all taxable property as defined in section 126C.01, subdivision 3, equals the district's referendum equalization revenue times the lesser of one or the ratio of the district's referendum market value per resident marginal cost pupil unit to $476,000.
(b) A district's referendum equalization levy for a referendum levied against the net tax capacity of all taxable property equals the district's referendum equalization revenue times the lesser of one or the ratio of the district's adjusted net tax capacity per resident marginal cost pupil unit to $8,404.
Subd. 7. Referendum equalization aid. (a) A district's referendum equalization aid equals the difference between its referendum equalization revenue and levy.
(b) If a district's actual levy for referendum equalization revenue is less than its maximum levy limit, aid shall be proportionately reduced.
Subd. 8. Unequalized referendum levy. Each year, a district may levy an amount equal to the difference between its total referendum revenue according to subdivision 5 and its equalized referendum aid and levy according to subdivisions 6 and 7.
Subd. 9. Referendum revenue. (a) The revenue authorized by section 126C.10, subdivision 1, may be increased in the amount approved by the voters of the district at a referendum called for the purpose. The referendum may be called by the board or shall be called by the board upon written petition of qualified voters of the district. The referendum must be conducted one or two calendar years before the increased levy authority, if approved, first becomes payable. Only one election to approve an increase may be held in a calendar year. Unless the referendum is conducted by mail under paragraph (g), the referendum must be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The ballot must state the maximum amount of the increased revenue per resident marginal cost pupil unit, the estimated referendum tax rate as a percentage of referendum market value in the first year it is to be levied, and that the revenue must be used to finance school operations. The ballot may state a schedule, determined by the board, of increased revenue per resident marginal cost pupil unit that differs from year to year over the number of years for which the increased revenue is authorized. If the ballot contains a schedule showing different amounts, it must also indicate the estimated referendum tax rate as a percent of referendum market value for the amount specified for the first year and for the maximum amount specified in the schedule. The ballot may state that existing referendum levy authority is expiring. In this case, the ballot may also compare the proposed levy authority to the existing expiring levy authority, and express the proposed increase as the amount, if any, over the expiring referendum levy authority. The ballot must designate the specific number of years, not to exceed ten, for which the referendum authorization applies. The notice required under section 275.60 may be modified to read, in cases of renewing existing levies:
"BY VOTING "YES" ON THIS BALLOT QUESTION, YOU MAY BE VOTING FOR A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE."
The ballot may contain a textual portion with the information required in this subdivision and a question stating substantially the following:
"Shall the increase in the revenue proposed by (petition to) the board of ........., School District No. .., be approved?"
If approved, an amount equal to the approved revenue per resident marginal cost pupil unit times the resident marginal cost pupil units for the school year beginning in the year after the levy is certified shall be authorized for certification for the number of years approved, if applicable, or until revoked or reduced by the voters of the district at a subsequent referendum.
(b) The board must prepare and deliver by first class mail at least 15 days but no more than 30 days before the day of the referendum to each taxpayer a notice of the referendum and the proposed revenue increase. The board need not mail more than one notice to any taxpayer. For the purpose of giving mailed notice under this subdivision, owners must be those shown to be owners on the records of the county auditor or, in any county where tax statements are mailed by the county treasurer, on the records of the county treasurer. Every property owner whose name does not appear on the records of the county auditor or the county treasurer is deemed to have waived this mailed notice unless the owner has requested in writing that the county auditor or county treasurer, as the case may be, include the name on the records for this purpose. The notice must project the anticipated amount of tax increase in annual dollars and annual percentage for typical residential homesteads, agricultural homesteads, apartments, and commercial-industrial property within the school district.
The notice for a referendum may state that an existing referendum levy is expiring and project the anticipated amount of increase over the existing referendum levy in the first year, if any, in annual dollars and annual percentage for typical residential homesteads, agricultural homesteads, apartments, and commercial-industrial property within the district.
The notice must include the following statement: "Passage of this referendum will result in an increase in your property taxes." However, in cases of renewing existing levies, the notice may include the following statement: "Passage of this referendum may result in an increase in your property taxes."
(c) A referendum on the question of revoking or reducing the increased revenue amount authorized pursuant to paragraph (a) may be called by the board and shall be called by the board upon the written petition of qualified voters of the district. A referendum to revoke or reduce the levy amount must be based upon the dollar amount, local tax rate, or amount per resident marginal cost pupil unit, that was stated to be the basis for the initial authorization. Revenue approved by the voters of the district pursuant to paragraph (a) must be received at least once before it is subject to a referendum on its revocation or reduction for subsequent years. Only one revocation or reduction referendum may be held to revoke or reduce referendum revenue for any specific year and for years thereafter.
(d) A petition authorized by paragraph (a) or (c) is effective if signed by a number of qualified voters in excess of 15 percent of the registered voters of the district on the day the petition is filed with the board. A referendum invoked by petition must be held on the date specified in paragraph (a).
(e) The approval of 50 percent plus one of those voting on the question is required to pass a referendum authorized by this subdivision.
(f) At least 15 days before the day of the referendum, the district must submit a copy of the notice required under paragraph (b) to the commissioner and to the county auditor of each county in which the district is located. Within 15 days after the results of the referendum have been certified by the board, or in the case of a recount, the certification of the results of the recount by the canvassing board, the district must notify the commissioner of the results of the referendum.
(g) Except for a referendum held under subdivision 11, any referendum under this section held on a day other than the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November must be conducted by mail in accordance with section 204B.46. Notwithstanding paragraph (b) to the contrary, in the case of a referendum conducted by mail under this paragraph, the notice required by paragraph (b) must be prepared and delivered by first class mail at least 20 days before the referendum.
Subd. 10. School referendum levy; market value. Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision 9, a school referendum levy approved after November 1, 1992, for taxes payable in 1993 and thereafter, must be levied against the referendum market value of all taxable property as defined in section 126C.01, subdivision 3. Any referendum levy amount subject to the requirements of this subdivision must be certified separately to the county auditor under section 275.07.
All other provisions of subdivision 9 that do not conflict with this subdivision apply to referendum levies under this subdivision.
Subd. 11. Referendum date. In addition to the referenda allowed in subdivision 9, clause (a), the commissioner may authorize a referendum for a different day.
(a) The commissioner may grant authority to a district to hold a referendum on a different day if the district is in statutory operating debt and has an approved plan or has received an extension from the department to file a plan to eliminate the statutory operating debt.
(b) The commissioner may grant authority for a district to hold a referendum on a different day if: (1) the district will conduct a bond election under chapter 475 on that same day; and (2) the proceeds of the referendum will provide only additional operating revenue complementing the purpose for which bonding authority is sought. The commissioner may only grant authority under this paragraph if the district demonstrates to the commissioner's satisfaction that the district's ability to operate the new facility or achieve efficiencies with the purchases connected to the proceeds of the bond sale will be significantly affected if the operating referendum is not conducted until the November general election. Authority under this paragraph expires November 30, 1998.
(c) The commissioner must approve, deny, or modify each district's request for a referendum levy on a different day within 60 days of receiving the request from a district.
Subd. 12. Referendum allowance reduction. For fiscal year 1998 and later, a district's referendum allowance for referendum authority under subdivision 2 is reduced as provided in this subdivision.
(a) For referendum revenue authority approved before June 1, 1996, and effective for fiscal year 1997, the reduction equals the amount of the reduction computed for fiscal year 1997 under subdivision 3b.
(b) For referendum revenue authority approved before June 1, 1996, and effective beginning in fiscal year 1998, the reduction equals the amount of the reduction computed for fiscal year 1998 under subdivision 3b.
(c) For referendum revenue authority approved after May 31, 1996, there is no reduction.
(d) For districts with more than one referendum authority, the reduction must be computed separately for each authority. The reduction must be applied first to authorities levied against tax capacity, and then to authorities levied against referendum market value. For districts with more than one authority levied against net tax capacity or against referendum market value, the referendum allowance reduction must be applied first to the authority with the earliest expiration date.
(e) When referendum authority approved before June 1, 1996, expires, the referendum allowance reduction for a district shall be decreased by the amount of the decrease in the district's total referendum allowance under subdivision 2. For districts with more than one referendum authority remaining after the expiration, the amount of any remaining allowance reduction shall be reallocated among the remaining referendum authority approved before June 1, 1996, according to paragraph (d).
(f) For a newly reorganized district created after July 1, 1996, the referendum revenue reduction equals the lesser of the amount calculated for the combined district, or the sum of the amounts by which each of the reorganizing district's supplemental revenue reduction exceeds its respective supplemental revenue allowances calculated for the year preceding the year of reorganization.
HIST: Ex1971 c 31 art 20 s 8; 1973 c 683 s 18,19; 1974 c 521 s 29-31; 1975 c 432 s 74-81; 1976 c 2 s 97; 1976 c 134 s 78; 1976 c 271 s 80-90; 1977 c 307 s 29; 1977 c 423 art 3 s 12; 1977 c 447 art 1 s 19,20; art 2 s 8; art 4 s 5; art 5 s 12; art 6 s 8-10; art 7 s 26; 1978 c 764 s 103-111; 1979 c 303 art 2 s 22; 1979 c 334 art 1 s 14-24; art 2 s 13; art 4 s 4; art 6 s 23; 1980 c 509 s 112; 1980 c 607 art 7 s 9; 1980 c 609 art 1 s 9-13; art 2 s 3,4; art 4 s 15-18,22; art 5 s 19; 1981 c 224 s 38; 1981 c 356 s 248; 1981 c 358 art 1 s 31-42,48; art 4 s 10; art 6 s 32,33; 3Sp1981 c 2 art 2 s 10; art 4 s 7; 1982 c 548 art 1 s 12-14; art 2 s 4-6; art 3 s 26; art 6 s 19-22; art 7 s 6; 1983 c 216 art 1 s 45; 1983 c 314 art 1 s 18-21,22; art 2 s 3-6; art 3 s 13-15; art 4 s 6; art 6 s 24-29; art 7 s 34; 1983 c 323 s 2-4; 1984 c 463 art 1 s 11; art 2 s 6,7; art 4 s 5,6; art 5 s 36; art 6 s 6-11; art 7 s 20; 1984 c 502 art 7 s 7-9; 1984 c 583 s 32; 1985 c 248 s 33; 1Sp1985 c 12 art 1 s 14-16; 1Sp1986 c 1 art 9 s 17; 1987 c 398 art 1 s 8; 1988 c 486 s 49; 1988 c 719 art 5 s 84; 1989 c 329 art 1 s 4; 1Sp1989 c 1 art 2 s 11; art 9 s 5; 1990 c 562 art 1 s 3; 1991 c 265 art 1 s 10; 1991 c 291 art 1 s 5,6; 1992 c 499 art 1 s 11-14; 1992 c 603 s 13; 1993 c 44 s 1; 1993 c 224 art 1 s 7-10; 1993 c 374 s 1; 1994 c 647 art 1 s 16-19; 1Sp1995 c 3 art 1 s 20-23; art 16 s 13; 1996 c 412 art 1 s 15-18; 1996 c 471 art 3 s 2; 1Sp1997 c 4 art 1 s 33,34; 1998 c 389 art 2 s 6; 1998 c 397 art 7 s 135-137,164; art 11 s 3; 1998 c 398 art 1 s 24,25; 1999 c 241 art 1 s 40-45; 2000 c 489 art 2 s 23
* NOTE: Subdivisions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 (formerly *section 124A.03, subdivisions 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g, 1h, and *1i), are repealed effective June 30, 2004. Laws 1992, chapter *499, article 7, section 31, as amended by Laws 1998, chapter *398, article 1, section 39; Laws 1999, chapter 241, article 1, *section 54; and Laws 2000, chapter 489, article 2, section 28.
Official Publication of the State of Minnesota
Revisor of Statutes