2006 Minnesota Statutes

126C.17 REFERENDUM REVENUE.
    Subdivision 1. Referendum allowance. (a) For fiscal year 2003 and later, a district's
initial referendum revenue allowance equals the sum of the allowance under section 126C.16,
subdivision 2 , plus any additional allowance per resident marginal cost pupil unit authorized
under subdivision 9 before May 1, 2001, for fiscal year 2002 and later, plus the referendum
conversion allowance approved under subdivision 13, minus $415. For districts with more than
one referendum authority, the reduction must be computed separately for each authority. The
reduction must be applied first to the referendum conversion allowance and next to the authority
with the earliest expiration date. A district's initial referendum revenue allowance may not be
less than zero.
(b) For fiscal year 2003, a district's referendum revenue allowance equals the initial
referendum allowance plus any additional allowance per resident marginal cost pupil unit
authorized under subdivision 9 between April 30, 2001, and December 30, 2001, for fiscal year
2003 and later.
(c) For fiscal year 2004 and later, a district's referendum revenue allowance equals the sum of:
(1) the product of (i) the ratio of the resident marginal cost pupil units the district would
have counted for fiscal year 2004 under Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 126C.05, to the district's
resident marginal cost pupil units for fiscal year 2004, times (ii) the initial referendum allowance
plus any additional allowance per resident marginal cost pupil unit authorized under subdivision 9
between April 30, 2001, and May 30, 2003, for fiscal year 2003 and later, plus
(2) any additional allowance per resident marginal cost pupil unit authorized under
subdivision 9 after May 30, 2003, for fiscal year 2005 and later.
    Subd. 2. Referendum allowance limit. (a) Notwithstanding subdivision 1, for fiscal year
2007 and later, a district's referendum allowance must not exceed the greater of:
(1) the sum of: (i) a district's referendum allowance for fiscal year 1994 times 1.177 times the
annual inflationary increase as calculated under paragraph (b) plus (ii) its referendum conversion
allowance for fiscal year 2003, minus (iii) $215;
(2) the greater of (i): 26 percent of the formula allowance or (ii) $1,294 times the annual
inflationary increase as calculated under paragraph (b); or
(3) for a newly reorganized district created after July 1, 2006, the referendum revenue
authority for each reorganizing district in the year preceding reorganization divided by its resident
marginal cost pupil units for the year preceding reorganization.
(b) For purposes of this subdivision, for fiscal year 2005 and later, "inflationary increase"
means one plus the percentage change in the Consumer Price Index for urban consumers, as
prepared by the United States Bureau of Labor Standards, for the current fiscal year to fiscal year
2004. For fiscal years 2009 and later, for purposes of paragraph (a), clause (1), the inflationary
increase equals the inflationary increase for fiscal year 2008 plus one-fourth of the percentage
increase in the formula allowance for that year compared with the formula allowance for fiscal
year 2008.
    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) For fiscal year 2003 and later, a district's
referendum equalization revenue equals the sum of the first tier referendum equalization revenue
and the second tier referendum equalization revenue.
(b) A district's first tier referendum equalization revenue equals the district's first tier
referendum equalization allowance times the district's resident marginal cost pupil units for
that year.
(c) For fiscal year 2006, a district's first tier referendum equalization allowance equals the
lesser of the district's referendum allowance under subdivision 1 or $500. For fiscal year 2007, a
district's first tier referendum equalization allowance equals the lesser of the district's referendum
allowance under subdivision 1 or $600.
For fiscal year 2008 and later, a district's first tier referendum equalization allowance equals
the lesser of the district's referendum allowance under subdivision 1 or $700.
(d) A district's second tier referendum equalization revenue equals the district's second tier
referendum equalization allowance times the district's resident marginal cost pupil units for
that year.
(e) For fiscal year 2006, a district's second tier referendum equalization allowance equals
the lesser of the district's referendum allowance under subdivision 1 or 18.6 percent of the
formula allowance, minus the district's first tier referendum equalization allowance. For fiscal
year 2007 and later, a district's second tier referendum equalization allowance equals the lesser of
the district's referendum allowance under subdivision 1 or 26 percent of the formula allowance,
minus the district's first tier referendum equalization allowance.
(f) Notwithstanding paragraph (e), the second tier referendum allowance for a district
qualifying for secondary sparsity revenue under section 126C.10, subdivision 7, or elementary
sparsity revenue under section 126C.10, subdivision 8, equals the district's referendum allowance
under subdivision 1 minus the district's first tier referendum equalization allowance.
    Subd. 6. Referendum equalization levy. (a) For fiscal year 2003 and later, a district's
referendum equalization levy equals the sum of the first tier referendum equalization levy and
the second tier referendum equalization levy.
(b) A district's first tier referendum equalization levy equals the district's first tier 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.
(c) A district's second tier referendum equalization levy equals the district's second tier
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 $270,000.
    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 first or second tier referendum equalization revenue is less
than its maximum levy limit for that tier, aid shall be proportionately reduced.
(c) Notwithstanding paragraph (a), the referendum equalization aid for a district, where the
referendum equalization aid under paragraph (a) exceeds 90 percent of the referendum revenue,
must not exceed 26 percent of the formula allowance times the district's resident marginal
cost pupil units. A district's referendum levy is increased by the amount of any reduction in
referendum aid under this paragraph.
    Subd. 7a. Referendum tax base replacement aid. For each school district that had a
referendum allowance for fiscal year 2002 exceeding $415, for each separately authorized
referendum levy, the commissioner of revenue, in consultation with the commissioner of
education, shall certify the amount of the referendum levy in taxes payable year 2001 attributable
to the portion of the referendum allowance exceeding $415 levied against property classified as
class 2, noncommercial 4c(1), or 4c(4), under section 273.13, excluding the portion of the tax
paid by the portion of class 2a property consisting of the house, garage, and surrounding one acre
of land. The resulting amount must be used to reduce the district's referendum levy amount
otherwise determined, and must be paid to the district each year that the referendum authority
remains in effect, is renewed, or new referendum authority is approved. The aid payable under this
subdivision must be subtracted from the district's referendum equalization aid under subdivision
7. The referendum equalization aid after the subtraction must not be less than zero.
    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 4 and its referendum
equalization revenue according to subdivision 5.
    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 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 or may state that the amount
shall increase annually by the rate of inflation. For this purpose, the rate of inflation shall be the
annual inflationary increase calculated under subdivision 2, paragraph (b). 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
ballot, including a ballot on the question to revoke or reduce the increased revenue amount under
paragraph (c), must abbreviate the term "per resident marginal cost pupil unit" as "per pupil." 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 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 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
revenue amount must state the amount per resident marginal cost pupil unit by which the authority
is to be reduced. Revenue authority approved by the voters of the district pursuant to paragraph
(a) must be available to the school district 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.
    Subd. 10. School referendum levy; market value. A school referendum levy 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.
    Subd. 11. Referendum date. (a) Except for a referendum held under paragraph (b), 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
subdivision 9, paragraph (b), to the contrary, in the case of a referendum conducted by mail
under this paragraph, the notice required by subdivision 9, paragraph (b), must be prepared and
delivered by first-class mail at least 20 days before the referendum.
(b) In addition to the referenda allowed in subdivision 9, clause (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.
(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.[Repealed, 1Sp2001 c 6 art 1 s 55 subd 1]
    Subd. 13. Referendum conversion allowance. A school district that received supplemental
or transition revenue in fiscal year 2002 may convert its supplemental revenue conversion
allowance and transition revenue conversion allowance to additional referendum allowance under
subdivision 1 for fiscal year 2003 and thereafter. A majority of the school board must approve the
conversion at a public meeting before November 1, 2001. For a district with other referendum
authority, the referendum conversion allowance approved by the board continues until the portion
of the district's other referendum authority with the earliest expiration date after June 30, 2006,
expires. For a district with no other referendum authority, the referendum conversion allowance
approved by the board continues until June 30, 2012.
History: 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; art 7 s 31; 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 24,25,39; 1999 c 241 art 1 s
40-45,54; 2000 c 489 art 2 s 23,28; 1Sp2001 c 5 art 2 s 12-19; art 3 s 82; 1Sp2001 c 6 art 1 s
31-34,42; 2002 c 220 art 3 s 18; 2002 c 374 art 4 s 7; 2002 c 377 art 10 s 2; 1Sp2003 c 9 art 1 s
35-41; 1Sp2003 c 23 s 14; 1Sp2005 c 5 art 1 s 29-33; 2006 c 259 art 4 s 2; 2006 c 263 art 1 s 13