July 2, 2003, Introduced by Reps. Ruth Johnson, Drolet, Brandenburg, Bradstreet, Rocca, Amos, Taub, Pappageorge, Garfield, Stakoe, Woodward, Robertson, Hoogendyk and Voorhees and referred to the Committee on Tax Policy.
A bill to amend 1893 PA 206, entitled
"The general property tax act,"
by amending section 24f (MCL 211.24f), as amended by 2000
PA 244.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
1 Sec. 24f. (1) If a taxing unit submits a proposal on the
2 question of authorizing the issuance of bonds, imposing a new
3 millage, or increasing or renewing an existing millage, except an
4 ad valorem special assessment millage for police or fire
5 protection under 1951 PA 33, MCL 41.801 to 41.813, the ballot
6 shall fully disclose each local unit of government to which the
7 revenue from that millage will be disbursed. As used in this
8 subsection:
9 (a) "Local unit of government" means a county, city, village,
10 township, school district, intermediate school district,
1 community college district, public library, or local authority
2 created under state law.
3 (b) "Public library" means that term as defined in section 2
4 of the state aid to public libraries act, 1977 PA 89, MCL
5 397.552.
6 (2) In addition to the requirement set forth in subsection
7 (1) and any other requirement provided by law, when submitting a
8 proposal on the question of authorizing a millage rate to be
9 levied under this act, the ballot shall state all of the
10 following:
11 (a) The millage rate to be authorized.
12 (b) The estimated amount of revenue that will be collected in
13 the first year that the millage is authorized and levied.
14 (c) The duration of the millage in years.
15 (d) A clear statement of the purpose for the millage.
16 (e) A clear statement indicating whether the proposed millage
17 is a renewal of a previously authorized millage or the
18 authorization of a new additional millage.
19 (3) If a school district or intermediate school district uses
20 revenue from a millage for a purpose other than the purpose
21 stated in subsection (2)(d), the authorization for that millage
22 may be reconsidered at the next general election or at a special
23 election called for that purpose if not less than 10% of the
24 qualified electors in the school district or intermediate school
25 district petition the school district or intermediate school
26 district to reconsider that millage.
27 (4) (3) In
addition to any other requirement provided by
1 law, when submitting a proposal to authorize the issuance of
2 bonds, the ballot shall state all of the following:
3 (a) The principal amount to be borrowed.
4 (b) The maximum number of years the bonds may be outstanding,
5 exclusive of any refunding.
6 (c) A clear statement of the purpose for which the proceeds
7 of the bonds will be used.
8 (d) For bonds other than bonds that are intended to be paid
9 from a separate revenue source or from taxes levied in less than
10 the entire taxing unit, the estimated millage that will be levied
11 for the proposed bonds in the first year that the levy is
12 authorized and the estimated simple average annual millage that
13 will be required to retire the debt. Inaccuracies in the
14 estimates provided under this subdivision shall not affect the
15 validity of the bonds, the general obligation unlimited tax
16 status requiring the levy of taxes sufficient to pay the bonds,
17 or the results of an election.
18 (e) For bonds that are intended to be paid from a separate
19 revenue source or from taxes levied in less than the entire
20 taxing unit, the primary source of the revenue that is intended
21 to be used to retire the bonds.
22 (5) (4) A
taxing unit shall hold not more than 2 elections
23 in a calendar year concerning the authorization of a millage rate
24 greater than the product of the immediately preceding year's
25 reduced maximum authorized rate or rates as defined in section
26 34d(16) multiplied by the current year's millage reduction
27 fraction, regardless of the number of questions presented at the
1 election.
2 (6) (5) A
taxing unit that levies millage under this act
3 shall not submit a single question to the electors of the taxing
4 unit requesting both the renewal of voter authorized millage and
5 the authorization of new additional millage if the additional
6 millage is greater than 0.5 mill. If authorization to levy
7 millage has expired and the taxing unit submits to the electors
8 the authorization of millage greater than the number of expired
9 mills reduced pursuant to the millage reduction in section
10 34d(11), and if the additional millage is greater than 0.5 mill,
11 the taxing unit shall submit 1 question for authorization of the
12 number of expired mills reduced pursuant to the millage reduction
13 in section 34d(11) and 1 or more additional questions for the
14 authorization of millage in excess of that amount.