HOUSE BILL No. 5737

 

April 1, 2004, Introduced by Rep. Stewart and referred to the Committee on Commerce.

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1974 PA 198, entitled                                             

                                                                                

    "An act to provide for the establishment of plant rehabilitation            

    districts and industrial development districts in local                     

    governmental units; to provide for the exemption from certain               

    taxes; to levy and collect a specific tax upon the owners of                

    certain facilities; to impose and provide for the disposition of            

    an administrative fee; to provide for the disposition of the tax;           

    to provide for the obtaining and transferring of an exemption               

    certificate and to prescribe the contents of those certificates;            

    to prescribe the powers and duties of the state tax commission              

    and certain officers of local governmental units; and to provide            

    penalties,"                                                                 

                                                                                

    by amending section 9 (MCL 207.559), as amended by 1999 PA 140.             

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 9.  (1) The legislative body of the local governmental                 

                                                                                

2   unit, in its resolution approving an application, shall set forth           

                                                                                

3   a finding and determination that the granting of the industrial             

                                                                                

4   facilities exemption certificate, considered together with the              

                                                                                

5   aggregate amount of industrial facilities exemption certificates            

                                                                                

6   previously granted and currently in force, shall not have the               

                                                                                


                                                                                

1   effect of substantially impeding the operation of the local                 

                                                                                

2   governmental unit or impairing the financial soundness of a                 

                                                                                

3   taxing unit that levies an ad valorem property tax in the local             

                                                                                

4   governmental unit in which the facility is located or to be                 

                                                                                

5   located.  If the state equalized valuation of property proposed             

                                                                                

6   to be exempt pursuant to an application under consideration,                

                                                                                

7   considered together with the aggregate state equalized valuation            

                                                                                

8   of property exempt under certificates previously granted and                

                                                                                

9   currently in force, exceeds 5% of the state equalized valuation             

                                                                                

10  of the local governmental unit, the commission, with the approval           

                                                                                

11  of the state treasurer, shall make a separate finding and shall             

                                                                                

12  include a statement in the order approving the industrial                   

                                                                                

13  facilities exemption certificate that exceeding that amount shall           

                                                                                

14  not have the effect of substantially impeding the operation of              

                                                                                

15  the local governmental unit or impairing the financial soundness            

                                                                                

16  of an affected taxing unit.                                                 

                                                                                

17      (2) Except for an application for a speculative building,                   

                                                                                

18  which is governed by subsection (4), and except as otherwise                

                                                                                

19  provided in this section, the legislative body of the local                 

                                                                                

20  governmental unit shall not approve an application and the                  

                                                                                

21  commission shall not grant an industrial facilities exemption               

                                                                                

22  certificate unless the applicant complies with all of the                   

                                                                                

23  following requirements:                                                     

                                                                                

24      (a) The commencement of the restoration, replacement, or                    

                                                                                

25  construction of the facility occurred not earlier than 12 months            

                                                                                

26  before the filing of the application for the industrial                     

                                                                                

27  facilities exemption certificate.  If the application is not                


                                                                                

1   filed within the 12-month period, the application may be filed              

                                                                                

2   within the succeeding 12-month period and the industrial                    

                                                                                

3   facilities exemption certificate shall in this case expire 1 year           

                                                                                

4   earlier than it would have expired if the application had been              

                                                                                

5   timely filed.  This subdivision does not apply for applications             

                                                                                

6   filed with the local governmental unit after December 31, 1983.             

                                                                                

7       (b) For applications made after December 31, 1983, the                      

                                                                                

8   proposed facility shall be located within a plant rehabilitation            

                                                                                

9   district or industrial development district that was duly                   

                                                                                

10  established in a local governmental unit eligible under this act            

                                                                                

11  to establish a district and that was established upon a request             

                                                                                

12  filed or by the local governmental unit's own initiative taken              

                                                                                

13  before the commencement of the restoration, replacement, or                 

                                                                                

14  construction of the facility.                                               

                                                                                

15      (c) For applications made after December 31, 1983, the                      

                                                                                

16  commencement of the restoration, replacement, or construction of            

                                                                                

17  the facility occurred not earlier than 6 months before the filing           

                                                                                

18  of the application for the industrial facilities exemption                  

                                                                                

19  certificate.                                                                

                                                                                

20      (d) The application relates to a construction, restoration,                 

                                                                                

21  or replacement program that when completed constitutes a new or             

                                                                                

22  replacement facility within the meaning of this act and that                

                                                                                

23  shall be situated within a plant rehabilitation district or                 

                                                                                

24  industrial development district duly established in a local                 

                                                                                

25  governmental unit eligible under this act to establish the                  

                                                                                

26  district.                                                                   

                                                                                

27      (e) Completion of the facility is calculated to, and will at                


                                                                                

1   the time of issuance of the certificate have the reasonable                 

                                                                                

2   likelihood to create employment, retain employment, prevent a               

                                                                                

3   loss of employment, or produce energy in the community in which             

                                                                                

4   the facility is situated.                                                   

                                                                                

5       (f) Completion of the facility does not constitute merely the               

                                                                                

6   addition of machinery and equipment for the purpose of increasing           

                                                                                

7   productive capacity but rather is primarily for the purpose and             

                                                                                

8   will primarily have the effect of restoration, replacement, or              

                                                                                

9   updating the technology of obsolete industrial property.  An                

                                                                                

10  increase in productive capacity, even though significant, is not            

                                                                                

11  an impediment to the issuance of an industrial facilities                   

                                                                                

12  exemption certificate if other criteria in this section and act             

                                                                                

13  are met.  This subdivision does not apply to a new facility.                

                                                                                

14      (g) The provisions of subdivision (c) do not apply to a new                 

                                                                                

15  facility located in an existing industrial development district             

                                                                                

16  owned by a person who filed an application for an industrial                

                                                                                

17  facilities exemption certificate in April of 1992 if the                    

                                                                                

18  application was approved by the local governing body and was                

                                                                                

19  denied by the state tax commission in April of 1993.                        

                                                                                

20      (h) The provisions of subdivisions (b) and (c) and                          

                                                                                

21  section 4(3) do not apply to 1 or more of the following:                    

                                                                                

22                                                                               (i) A facility located in an industrial development district                        

                                                                                

23  owned by a person who filed an application for an industrial                

                                                                                

24  facilities exemption certificate in October 1995 for construction           

                                                                                

25  that was commenced in July 1992 in a district that was                      

                                                                                

26  established by the legislative body of the local governmental               

                                                                                

27  unit in July 1994.  An industrial facilities exemption                      


                                                                                

1   certificate described in this subparagraph shall expire as                  

                                                                                

2   provided in section 16(3).                                                  

                                                                                

3       (ii) A facility located in an industrial development district                

                                                                                

4   that was established in January 1994 and was owned by a person              

                                                                                

5   who filed an application for an industrial facilities exemption             

                                                                                

6   certificate in February 1994 if the personal property and real              

                                                                                

7   property portions of the application were approved by the                   

                                                                                

8   legislative body of the local governmental unit and the personal            

                                                                                

9   property portion of the application was approved by the state tax           

                                                                                

10  commission in December 1994 and the real property portion of the            

                                                                                

11  application was denied by the state tax commission in                       

                                                                                

12  December 1994.  An industrial facilities exemption certificate              

                                                                                

13  described in this subparagraph shall expire as provided in                  

                                                                                

14  section 16(3).                                                              

                                                                                

15      (iii) A facility located in an industrial development                        

                                                                                

16  district that was established in December 1995 and was owned by a           

                                                                                

17  person who filed an application for an industrial facilities                

                                                                                

18  exemptions certificate in November or December 1995 for                     

                                                                                

19  construction that was commenced in September 1995.                          

                                                                                

20      (i) The provisions of subdivision (c) do not apply to any of                

                                                                                

21  the following:                                                              

                                                                                

22                                                                               (i) A new facility located in an existing industrial                                

                                                                                

23  development district owned by a person who filed an application             

                                                                                

24  for an industrial facilities exemption certificate in October               

                                                                                

25  1993 if the application was approved by the legislative body of             

                                                                                

26  the local governmental unit and the real property portion of the            

                                                                                

27  application was denied by the state tax commission in December              


                                                                                

1   1993.                                                                       

                                                                                

2       (ii) A new facility located in an existing industrial                        

                                                                                

3   development district owned by a person who filed an application             

                                                                                

4   for an industrial facilities exemption certificate in September             

                                                                                

5   1993 if the personal property portion of the application was                

                                                                                

6   approved by the legislative body of the local governmental unit             

                                                                                

7   and the real property portion of the application was denied by              

                                                                                

8   the legislative body of the local governmental unit in October              

                                                                                

9   1993 and subsequently approved by the legislative body of the               

                                                                                

10  local governmental unit in September 1994.                                  

                                                                                

11      (iii) A facility located in an existing industrial                           

                                                                                

12  development district owned by a person who filed an application             

                                                                                

13  for an industrial facilities exemption certificate in August 1993           

                                                                                

14  if the application was approved by the local governmental unit in           

                                                                                

15  September 1993 and the application was denied by the state tax              

                                                                                

16  commission in December 1993.                                                

                                                                                

17      (iv) A facility located in an existing industrial development                

                                                                                

18  district occupied by a person who filed an application for an               

                                                                                

19  industrial facilities exemption certificate in June of 1995 if              

                                                                                

20  the application was approved by the legislative body of the local           

                                                                                

21  governmental unit in October of 1995 for construction that was              

                                                                                

22  commenced in November or December of 1994.                                  

                                                                                

23      (v) A facility located in an existing industrial development                

                                                                                

24  district owned by a person who filed an application for an                  

                                                                                

25  industrial facilities exemption certificate in June of 1995 if              

                                                                                

26  the application was approved by the legislative body of the local           

                                                                                

27  governmental unit in July of 1995 and the personal property                 


                                                                                

1   portion of the application was approved by the state tax                    

                                                                                

2   commission in November of 1995.                                             

                                                                                

3       (j) If the facility is locating in a plant rehabilitation                   

                                                                                

4   district or an industrial development district from another                 

                                                                                

5   location in this state, the owner of the facility is not                    

                                                                                

6   delinquent in any of the taxes described in section 10(1)(a) of             

                                                                                

7   the Michigan renaissance zone act, 1996 PA 376, MCL 125.2690, or            

                                                                                

8   substantially delinquent in any of the taxes described in and as            

                                                                                

9   provided under section 10(1)(b) of the Michigan renaissance zone            

                                                                                

10  act, 1996 PA 376, MCL 125.2690.                                             

                                                                                

11      (3) If the replacement facility when completed will not be                  

                                                                                

12  located on the same premises or contiguous premises as the                  

                                                                                

13  obsolete industrial property, then the applicant shall make                 

                                                                                

14  provision for the obsolete industrial property by demolition,               

                                                                                

15  sale, or transfer to another person with the effect that the                

                                                                                

16  obsolete industrial property shall within a reasonable time again           

                                                                                

17  be subject to assessment and taxation under the general property            

                                                                                

18  tax act, 1893 PA 206, MCL 211.1 to 211.157, or be used in a                 

                                                                                

19  manner consistent with the general purposes of this act, subject            

                                                                                

20  to approval of the commission.                                              

                                                                                

21      (4) The legislative body of the local governmental unit shall               

                                                                                

22  not approve an application and the commission shall not grant an            

                                                                                

23  industrial facilities exemption certificate that applies to a               

                                                                                

24  speculative building unless the speculative building is or is to            

                                                                                

25  be located in a plant rehabilitation district or industrial                 

                                                                                

26  development district duly established by a local governmental               

                                                                                

27  unit eligible under this act to establish a district; the                   


                                                                                

1   speculative building was constructed less than 9 years before the           

                                                                                

2   filing of the application for the industrial facilities exemption           

                                                                                

3   certificate; the speculative building has not been occupied since           

                                                                                

4   completion of construction; and the speculative building                    

                                                                                

5   otherwise qualifies under subsection (2)(e) for an industrial               

                                                                                

6   facilities exemption certificate.  An industrial facilities                 

                                                                                

7   exemption certificate granted under this subsection shall expire            

                                                                                

8   as provided in section 16(3).                                               

                                                                                

9       (5) Not later than September 1, 1989, the commission shall                  

                                                                                

10  provide to all local assessing units the name, address, and                 

                                                                                

11  telephone number of the person on the commission staff                      

                                                                                

12  responsible for providing procedural information concerning this            

                                                                                

13  act.  After October 1, 1989, a local unit of government shall               

                                                                                

14  notify each prospective applicant of this information in                    

                                                                                

15  writing.                                                                    

                                                                                

16      (6) Notwithstanding any other provision of this act, if on                  

                                                                                

17  December 29, 1986 a local governmental unit passed a resolution             

                                                                                

18  approving an exemption certificate for 10 years for real and                

                                                                                

19  personal property but the commission did not receive the                    

                                                                                

20  application until 1992 and the application was not made complete            

                                                                                

21  until 1995, then the commission shall issue, for that property,             

                                                                                

22  an industrial facilities exemption certificate that begins                  

                                                                                

23  December 30, 1987 and ends December 30, 1997.  The facility                 

                                                                                

24  described in this subsection shall be taxed under this act as if            

                                                                                

25  it was granted an industrial facilities exemption certificate on            

                                                                                

26  December 30, 1987.                                                          

                                                                                

27      (7) Notwithstanding any other provision of this act, if a                   


                                                                                

1   local governmental unit passed a resolution approving an                    

                                                                                

2   industrial facilities exemption certificate for a new facility on           

                                                                                

3   July 8, 1991 but rescinded that resolution and passed a                     

                                                                                

4   resolution approving an industrial facilities exemption                     

                                                                                

5   certificate for that same facility as a replacement facility on             

                                                                                

6   October 21, 1996, the commission shall issue for that property an           

                                                                                

7   industrial facilities exemption certificate that begins December            

                                                                                

8   30, 1991 and ends December 2003.  The replacement facility                  

                                                                                

9   described in this subsection shall be taxed under this act as if            

                                                                                

10  it was granted an industrial facilities exemption certificate on            

                                                                                

11  December 30, 1991.                                                          

                                                                                

12      (8) Property owned or operated by a casino is not industrial                

                                                                                

13  property or otherwise eligible for an abatement or reduction of             

                                                                                

14  ad valorem property taxes under this act.  As used in this                  

                                                                                

15  subsection, "casino" means a casino or a parking lot, hotel,                

                                                                                

16  motel, convention and trade center, or retail store owned or                

                                                                                

17  operated by a casino, an affiliate, or an affiliated company,               

                                                                                

18  regulated by this state pursuant to the Michigan gaming control             

                                                                                

19  and revenue act, the Initiated Law of 1996, MCL 432.201 to                  

                                                                                

20  432.226.                                                                    

                                                                                

21      (9) Notwithstanding any other provision of this act, if                     

                                                                                

22  pursuant to section 16a a local governmental unit passed a                  

                                                                                

23  resolution approving an industrial facilities exemption                     

                                                                                

24  certificate for a new facility on October 14, 2003 for a                    

                                                                                

25  certificate that expired in December 2002, the commission shall             

                                                                                

26  issue for that property an industrial facilities exemption                  

                                                                                

27  certificate that begins on December 30, 2002 and ends December              


                                                                                

1   30, 2009.