2001 Minnesota Statutes

     477A.0121 County criminal justice aid. 

    Subdivision 1.    Purpose.  County criminal justice aid 
 is intended to reduce the reliance of county criminal justice 
 and corrections programs and associated costs on local property 
 taxes. 

    County criminal justice aids must be used to pay expenses 
 associated with criminal justice activities including law 
 enforcement, criminal adjudication, and corrections. 

    Subd. 2.    Definitions.  For the purposes of this 
 section, the following definitions apply: 

    (1) "population" means the population according to the most 
 recent federal census, or according to the state demographer's 
 most recent estimate if it has been issued subsequent to the 
 most recent federal census; and 

    (2) "Part I crimes" means the total number of Part I crimes 
 reported for each county by the department of public safety for 
 the most recent year available.  By July 1 of each year the 
 commissioner of public safety shall certify to the commissioner 
 of revenue the number of Part I crimes reported for each county. 

    Subd. 3.    Formula.  Each calendar year, the 
 commissioner of revenue shall distribute county criminal justice 
 aid to each county in an amount determined according to the 
 following formula: 

    (1) one-half shall be distributed to each county in the 
 same proportion that the county's population is to the 
 population of all counties in the state; and 

    (2) one-half shall be distributed to each county in the 
 same proportion that the county's Part I crimes are to the total 
 Part I crimes for all counties in the state. 

    Subd. 4.    Public defender costs.  Each calendar year, 
 1.5 percent of the total appropriation for this section shall be 
 retained by the commissioner of revenue to make reimbursements 
 to the commissioner of finance for payments made under section 
 611.27.  The reimbursements shall be to defray the additional 
 costs associated with court-ordered counsel under section 
 611.27.  Any retained amounts not used for reimbursement in a 
 year shall be included in the next distribution of county 
 criminal justice aid that is certified to the county auditors 
 for the purpose of property tax reduction for the next taxes 
 payable year.  

    Subd. 5.    Payment dates.  The aid amounts for each 
 calendar year shall be paid as provided in section 477A.015. 

    Subd. 6.    Report.  By March 15 of each year following 
 the year in which criminal justice aids are received, each 
 county must file a report with the commissioner of revenue 
 describing how criminal justice aids were spent, and 
 demonstrating that they were used for criminal justice purposes. 

    HIST: 1992 c 511 art 1 s 14; 1994 c 416 art 1 s 58; 1995 c 264 
 art 8 s 14; 1996 c 471 art 3 s 45