SENATE BILL No. 553

 

 

June 4, 2003, Introduced by Senator PATTERSON and referred to the Committee on Economic Development, Small Business and Regulatory Reform.

 

 

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1975 PA 197, entitled                                             

                                                                                

    "An act to provide for the establishment of a downtown                      

    development authority; to prescribe its powers and duties; to               

    correct and prevent deterioration in business districts; to                 

    encourage historic preservation; to authorize the acquisition and           

    disposal of interests in real and personal property; to authorize           

    the creation and implementation of development plans in the                 

    districts; to promote the economic growth of the districts; to              

    create a board; to prescribe its powers and duties; to authorize            

    the levy and collection of taxes; to authorize the issuance of              

    bonds and other evidences of indebtedness; to authorize the use             

    of tax increment financing; to reimburse downtown development               

    authorities for certain losses of tax increment revenues; and to            

    prescribe the powers and duties of certain state officials,"                

                                                                                

    by amending section 1 (MCL 125.1651), as amended by 1997 PA 202.            

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 1.  As used in this act:                                               

                                                                                

2       (a) "Advance" means a transfer of funds made by a                           

                                                                                

3   municipality to an authority or to another person on behalf of              

                                                                                

4   the authority in anticipation of repayment by the authority.                

                                                                                

5   Evidence of the intent to repay an advance may include, but is              

                                                                                


                                                                                

1   not limited to, an executed agreement to repay, provisions                  

                                                                                

2   contained in a tax increment financing plan approved prior to the           

                                                                                

3   advance, or a resolution of the authority or the municipality.              

                                                                                

4       (b) "Assessed value" means 1 of the following:                              

                                                                                

5                                                                                (i) For valuations made before January 1, 1995, the state                           

                                                                                

6   equalized valuation as determined under the general property tax            

                                                                                

7   act, 1893 PA 206, MCL 211.1 to 211.157.                                     

                                                                                

8       (ii) For valuations made after December 31, 1994, the taxable                

                                                                                

9   value as determined under section 27a of the general property tax           

                                                                                

10  act, 1893 PA 206, MCL 211.27a.                                              

                                                                                

11      (c) "Authority" means a downtown development authority                      

                                                                                

12  created pursuant to this act.                                               

                                                                                

13      (d) "Board" means the governing body of an authority.                       

                                                                                

14      (e) "Business district" means an area in the downtown of a                  

                                                                                

15  municipality zoned and used principally for business.                       

                                                                                

16      (f) "Captured assessed value" means the amount in any 1 year                

                                                                                

17  by which the current assessed value of the project area,                    

                                                                                

18  including the assessed value of property for which specific local           

                                                                                

19  taxes are paid in lieu of property taxes as determined in                   

                                                                                

20  subdivision (x), exceeds the initial assessed value.  The state             

                                                                                

21  tax commission shall prescribe the method for calculating                   

                                                                                

22  captured assessed value.                                                    

                                                                                

23      (g) "Chief executive officer" means the mayor or city manager               

                                                                                

24  of a city, the president or village manager of a village, or the            

                                                                                

25  supervisor of a township or, if designated by the township board            

                                                                                

26  for purposes of this act, the township superintendent or township           

                                                                                

27  manager of a township.                                                      


                                                                                

1       (h) "Development area" means that area to which a development               

                                                                                

2   plan is applicable.                                                         

                                                                                

3       (i) "Development plan" means that information and those                     

                                                                                

4   requirements for a development set forth in section 17.                     

                                                                                

5       (j) "Development program" means the implementation of the                   

                                                                                

6   development plan.                                                           

                                                                                

7       (k) "Downtown district" means an area in a business district                

                                                                                

8   that is specifically designated by ordinance of the governing               

                                                                                

9   body of the municipality pursuant to this act.                              

                                                                                

10                                                                               (l) "Eligible advance" means an advance made before                                 

                                                                                

11  August 19, 1993.                                                            

                                                                                

12      (m) "Eligible obligation" means an obligation issued or                     

                                                                                

13  incurred by an authority or by a municipality on behalf of an               

                                                                                

14  authority before August 19, 1993 and its subsequent refunding by            

                                                                                

15  a qualified refunding obligation.  Eligible obligation includes             

                                                                                

16  an authority's written agreement entered into before August 19,             

                                                                                

17  1993 to pay an obligation issued after August 18, 1993 and before           

                                                                                

18  December 31, 1996 by another entity on behalf of the authority.             

                                                                                

19      (n) "Fiscal year" means the fiscal year of the authority.                   

                                                                                

20      (o) "Governing body of a municipality" means the elected body               

                                                                                

21  of a municipality having legislative powers.                                

                                                                                

22      (p) "Initial assessed value" means the assessed value, as                   

                                                                                

23  equalized, of all the taxable property within the boundaries of             

                                                                                

24  the development area at the time the ordinance establishing the             

                                                                                

25  tax increment financing plan is approved, as shown by the most              

                                                                                

26  recent assessment roll of the municipality for which equalization           

                                                                                

27  has been completed at the time the resolution is adopted.                   


                                                                                

1   Property exempt from taxation at the time of the determination of           

                                                                                

2   the initial assessed value shall be included as zero.  For the              

                                                                                

3   purpose of determining initial assessed value, property for which           

                                                                                

4   a specific local tax is paid in lieu of a property tax shall not            

                                                                                

5   be considered to be property that is exempt from taxation.  The             

                                                                                

6   initial assessed value of property for which a specific local tax           

                                                                                

7   was paid in lieu of a property tax shall be determined as                   

                                                                                

8   provided in subdivision (x).  In the case of a municipality                 

                                                                                

9   having a population of less than 35,000 which established an                

                                                                                

10  authority prior to 1985, created a district or districts, and               

                                                                                

11  approved a development plan or tax increment financing plan or              

                                                                                

12  amendments to a plan, and which plan or tax increment financing             

                                                                                

13  plan or amendments to a plan, and which plan expired by its terms           

                                                                                

14  December 31, 1991, the initial assessed value for the purpose of            

                                                                                

15  any plan or plan amendment adopted as an extension of the expired           

                                                                                

16  plan shall be determined as if the plan had not expired                     

                                                                                

17  December 31, 1991.  For a development area designated before 1997           

                                                                                

18  in which a renaissance zone has subsequently been designated                

                                                                                

19  pursuant to the Michigan renaissance zone act, 1996 PA 376, MCL             

                                                                                

20  125.2681 to 125.2696, the initial assessed value of the                     

                                                                                

21  development area otherwise determined under this subdivision                

                                                                                

22  shall be reduced by the amount by which the current assessed                

                                                                                

23  value of the development area was reduced in 1997 due to the                

                                                                                

24  exemption of property under section 7ff of the general property             

                                                                                

25  tax act, 1893 PA 206, MCL 211.7ff, but in no case shall the                 

                                                                                

26  initial assessed value be less than zero.                                   

                                                                                

27      (q) "Municipality" means a city, village, or township.                      


                                                                                

1       (r) "Obligation" means a written promise to pay, whether                    

                                                                                

2   evidenced by a contract, agreement, lease, sublease, bond, or               

                                                                                

3   note, or a requirement to pay imposed by law.  An obligation does           

                                                                                

4   not include a payment required solely because of default upon an            

                                                                                

5   obligation, employee salaries, or consideration paid for the use            

                                                                                

6   of municipal offices.  An obligation does not include those bonds           

                                                                                

7   that have been economically defeased by refunding bonds issued              

                                                                                

8   under this act.  Obligation includes, but is not limited to, the            

                                                                                

9   following:                                                                  

                                                                                

10                                                                               (i) A requirement to pay proceeds derived from ad valorem                           

                                                                                

11  property taxes or taxes levied in lieu of ad valorem property               

                                                                                

12  taxes.                                                                      

                                                                                

13      (ii) A management contract or a contract for professional                    

                                                                                

14  services.                                                                   

                                                                                

15      (iii) A payment required on a contract, agreement, bond, or                  

                                                                                

16  note if the requirement to make or assume the payment arose                 

                                                                                

17  before August 19, 1993.                                                     

                                                                                

18      (iv) A requirement to pay or reimburse a person for the cost                 

                                                                                

19  of insurance for, or to maintain, property subject to a lease,              

                                                                                

20  land contract, purchase agreement, or other agreement.                      

                                                                                

21      (v) A letter of credit, paying agent, transfer agent, bond                  

                                                                                

22  registrar, or trustee fee associated with a contract, agreement,            

                                                                                

23  bond, or note.                                                              

                                                                                

24      (s) "On behalf of an authority", in relation to an eligible                 

                                                                                

25  advance made by a municipality, or an eligible obligation or                

                                                                                

26  other protected obligation issued or incurred by a municipality,            

                                                                                

27  means in anticipation that an authority would transfer tax                  


                                                                                

1   increment revenues or reimburse the municipality from tax                   

                                                                                

2   increment revenues in an amount sufficient to fully make payment            

                                                                                

3   required by the eligible advance made by the municipality, or               

                                                                                

4   eligible obligation or other protected obligation issued or                 

                                                                                

5   incurred by the municipality, if the anticipation of the transfer           

                                                                                

6   or receipt of tax increment revenues from the authority is                  

                                                                                

7   pursuant to or evidenced by 1 or more of the following:                     

                                                                                

8                                                                                (i) A reimbursement agreement between the municipality and an                       

                                                                                

9   authority it established.                                                   

                                                                                

10      (ii) A requirement imposed by law that the authority transfer                

                                                                                

11  tax increment revenues to the municipality.                                 

                                                                                

12      (iii) A resolution of the authority agreeing to make payments                

                                                                                

13  to the incorporating unit.                                                  

                                                                                

14      (iv) Provisions in a tax increment financing plan describing                 

                                                                                

15  the project for which the obligation was incurred.                          

                                                                                

16      (t) "Operations" means office maintenance, including salaries               

                                                                                

17  and expenses of employees, office supplies, consultation fees,              

                                                                                

18  design costs, and other expenses incurred in the daily management           

                                                                                

19  of the authority and planning of its activities.                            

                                                                                

20      (u) "Other protected obligation" means:                                     

                                                                                

21                                                                               (i) A qualified refunding obligation issued to refund an                            

                                                                                

22  obligation described in subparagraph (ii), (iii), or (iv), an                  

                                                                                

23  obligation that is not a qualified refunding obligation that is             

                                                                                

24  issued to refund an eligible obligation, or a qualified refunding           

                                                                                

25  obligation issued to refund an obligation described in this                 

                                                                                

26  subparagraph.                                                               

                                                                                

27      (ii) An obligation issued or incurred by an authority or by a                


                                                                                

1   municipality on behalf of an authority after August 19, 1993, but           

                                                                                

2   before December 31, 1994, to finance a project described in a tax           

                                                                                

3   increment finance plan approved by the municipality in accordance           

                                                                                

4   with this act before December 31, 1993, for which a contract for            

                                                                                

5   final design is entered into by or on behalf of the municipality            

                                                                                

6   or authority before March 1, 1994 or for which a written                    

                                                                                

7   agreement with a developer was entered into by or on behalf of              

                                                                                

8   the municipality or authority before August 1, 1993.                        

                                                                                

9       (iii) An obligation incurred by an authority or municipality                 

                                                                                

10  after August 19, 1993, to reimburse a party to a development                

                                                                                

11  agreement entered into by a municipality or authority before                

                                                                                

12  August 19, 1993, for a project described in a tax increment                 

                                                                                

13  financing plan approved in accordance with this act before August           

                                                                                

14  19, 1993, and undertaken and installed by that party in                     

                                                                                

15  accordance with the development agreement.                                  

                                                                                

16      (iv) An obligation incurred by the authority evidenced by or                 

                                                                                

17  to finance a contract to purchase real property within a                    

                                                                                

18  development area or a contract to develop that property within              

                                                                                

19  the development area, or both, if all of the following                      

                                                                                

20  requirements are met:                                                       

                                                                                

21      (A) The authority purchased the real property in 1993.                      

                                                                                

22      (B) Before June 30, 1995, the authority enters a contract for               

                                                                                

23  the development of the real property located within the                     

                                                                                

24  development area.                                                           

                                                                                

25      (C) In 1993, the authority or municipality on behalf of the                 

                                                                                

26  authority received approval for a grant from both of the                    

                                                                                

27  following:                                                                  


                                                                                

1       (I) The department of natural resources for site reclamation                

                                                                                

2   of the real property.                                                       

                                                                                

3       (II) The department of consumer and industry services for                   

                                                                                

4   development of the real property.                                           

                                                                                

5       (v) An ongoing management or professional services contract                 

                                                                                

6   with the governing body of a county which was entered into before           

                                                                                

7   March 1, 1994 and which was preceded by a series of limited term            

                                                                                

8   management or professional services contracts with the governing            

                                                                                

9   body of the county, the last of which was entered into before               

                                                                                

10  August 19, 1993.                                                            

                                                                                

11      (vi) A loan from a municipality to an authority if the loan                  

                                                                                

12  was approved by the legislative body of the municipality on April           

                                                                                

13  18, 1994.                                                                   

                                                                                

14      (vii) Funds expended to match a grant received by a                          

                                                                                

15  municipality on behalf of an authority for sidewalk improvements            

                                                                                

16  from the Michigan department of transportation if the legislative           

                                                                                

17  body of the municipality approved the grant application on April            

                                                                                

18  5, 1993 and the grant was received by the municipality in June              

                                                                                

19  1993.                                                                       

                                                                                

20      (viii) For taxes captured in 1994, an obligation described in                 

                                                                                

21  this subparagraph issued or incurred to finance a project.  An              

                                                                                

22  obligation is considered issued or incurred to finance a project            

                                                                                

23  described in this subparagraph only if all of the following are             

                                                                                

24  met:                                                                        

                                                                                

25      (A) The obligation requires raising capital for the project                 

                                                                                

26  or paying for the project, whether or not a borrowing is                    

                                                                                

27  involved.                                                                   


                                                                                

1       (B) The obligation was part of a development plan and the tax               

                                                                                

2   increment financing plan was approved by a municipality on May 6,           

                                                                                

3   1991.                                                                       

                                                                                

4       (C) The obligation is in the form of a written memorandum of                

                                                                                

5   understanding between a municipality and a public utility dated             

                                                                                

6   October 27, 1994.                                                           

                                                                                

7       (D) The authority or municipality captured school taxes                     

                                                                                

8   during 1994.                                                                

                                                                                

9       (ix) For a municipality having a population of less than                    

                                                                                

10  15,000, an agreement between an authority or by a municipality on           

                                                                                

11  behalf of an authority and a contractor entered into after August           

                                                                                

12  19, 1993, but before December 31, 1994, to perform work on a                

                                                                                

13  project described in a tax increment finance plan approved by the           

                                                                                

14  municipality under this act before December 31, 1994, which                 

                                                                                

15  agreement provides that the work contracted for shall be                    

                                                                                

16  substantially completed not later than June 30, 1995.                       

                                                                                

17      (v) "Public facility" means a street, plaza, pedestrian mall,               

                                                                                

18  and any improvements to a street, plaza, or pedestrian mall                 

                                                                                

19  including street furniture and beautification, park, parking                

                                                                                

20  facility, recreational facility, right of way, structure,                   

                                                                                

21  waterway, bridge, lake, pond, canal, utility line or pipe,                  

                                                                                

22  building, and access routes to any of the foregoing, designed and           

                                                                                

23  dedicated to use by the public generally, or used by a public               

                                                                                

24  agency.  Public facility includes an improvement to a facility              

                                                                                

25  used by the public or a public facility as those terms are                  

                                                                                

26  defined in section 1 of 1966 PA 1, MCL 125.1351, which                      

                                                                                

27  improvement is made to comply with the barrier free design                  


                                                                                

1   requirements of the state construction code promulgated under the           

                                                                                

2   state construction code act of 1972  Stille-DeRossett-Hale                 

                                                                                

3   single state construction code act, 1972 PA 230, MCL 125.1501 to            

                                                                                

4   125.1531.                                                                   

                                                                                

5       (w) "Qualified refunding obligation" means an obligation                    

                                                                                

6   issued or incurred by an authority or by a municipality on behalf           

                                                                                

7   of an authority to refund an obligation if the refunding                    

                                                                                

8   obligation meets both of the following:                                     

                                                                                

9                                                                                (i) The net present value of the principal and interest to be                       

                                                                                

10  paid on the refunding obligation, including the cost of issuance,           

                                                                                

11  will be less than the net present value of the principal and                

                                                                                

12  interest to be paid on the obligation being refunded, as                    

                                                                                

13  calculated using a method approved by the department of                     

                                                                                

14  treasury.                                                                   

                                                                                

15      (ii) The net present value of the sum of the tax increment                   

                                                                                

16  revenues described in subdivision (z)(ii) and the distributions              

                                                                                

17  under section 13b to repay the refunding obligation will not be             

                                                                                

18  greater than the net present value of the sum of the tax                    

                                                                                

19  increment revenues described in subdivision (z)(ii) and the                  

                                                                                

20  distributions under section 13b to repay the obligation being               

                                                                                

21  refunded, as calculated using a method approved by the department           

                                                                                

22  of treasury.                                                                

                                                                                

23      (x) "Specific local tax" means a tax levied under 1974 PA                   

                                                                                

24  198, MCL 207.551 to 207.572, the commercial redevelopment act,              

                                                                                

25  1978 PA 255, MCL 207.651 to 207.668, the technology park                    

                                                                                

26  development act, 1984 PA 385, MCL 207.701 to 207.718, and 1953 PA           

                                                                                

27  189, MCL 211.181 to 211.182.  The initial assessed value or                 


                                                                                

1   current assessed value of property subject to a specific local              

                                                                                

2   tax shall be the quotient of the specific local tax paid divided            

                                                                                

3   by the ad valorem millage rate.  However, after 1993, the state             

                                                                                

4   tax commission shall prescribe the method for calculating the               

                                                                                

5   initial assessed value and current assessed value of property for           

                                                                                

6   which a specific local tax was paid in lieu of a property tax.              

                                                                                

7       (y) "State fiscal year" means the annual period commencing                  

                                                                                

8   October 1 of each year.                                                     

                                                                                

9       (z) "Tax increment revenues" means the amount of ad valorem                 

                                                                                

10  property taxes and specific local taxes attributable to the                 

                                                                                

11  application of the levy of all taxing jurisdictions upon the                

                                                                                

12  captured assessed value of real and personal property in the                

                                                                                

13  development area, subject to the following requirements:                    

                                                                                

14                                                                               (i) Tax increment revenues include ad valorem property taxes                        

                                                                                

15  and specific local taxes attributable to the application of the             

                                                                                

16  levy of all taxing jurisdictions other than the state pursuant to           

                                                                                

17  the state education tax act, 1993 PA 331, MCL 211.901 to 211.906,           

                                                                                

18  and local or intermediate school districts upon the captured                

                                                                                

19  assessed value of real and personal property in the development             

                                                                                

20  area for any purpose authorized by this act.                                

                                                                                

21      (ii) Tax increment revenues include ad valorem property taxes                

                                                                                

22  and specific local taxes attributable to the application of the             

                                                                                

23  levy of the state pursuant to the state education tax act, 1993             

                                                                                

24  PA 331, MCL 211.901 to 211.906, and local or intermediate school            

                                                                                

25  districts upon the captured assessed value of real and personal             

                                                                                

26  property in the development area in an amount equal to the amount           

                                                                                

27  necessary, without regard to subparagraph (i), to repay eligible            


                                                                                

1   advances, eligible obligations, and other protected obligations.            

                                                                                

2       (iii) Tax increment revenues do not include any of the                       

                                                                                

3   following:                                                                  

                                                                                

4       (A) Ad valorem property taxes attributable either to a                      

                                                                                

5   portion of the captured assessed value shared with taxing                   

                                                                                

6   jurisdictions within the jurisdictional area of the authority or            

                                                                                

7   to a portion of value of property that may be excluded from                 

                                                                                

8   captured assessed value or specific local taxes attributable to             

                                                                                

9   such ad valorem property taxes.                                             

                                                                                

10      (B) Ad valorem property taxes excluded by the tax increment                 

                                                                                

11  financing plan of the authority from the determination of the               

                                                                                

12  amount of tax increment revenues to be transmitted to the                   

                                                                                

13  authority or specific local taxes attributable to such ad valorem           

                                                                                

14  property taxes.                                                             

                                                                                

15      (C) Ad valorem property taxes exempted from capture under                   

                                                                                

16  section 3(3) or specific local taxes attributable to such ad                

                                                                                

17  valorem property taxes.                                                     

                                                                                

18      (iv) The amount of tax increment revenues authorized to be                   

                                                                                

19  included under subparagraph (ii), and required to be transmitted             

                                                                                

20  to the authority under section 14(1), from ad valorem property              

                                                                                

21  taxes and specific local taxes attributable to the application of           

                                                                                

22  the levy of the state education tax act, 1993 PA 331, MCL 211.901           

                                                                                

23  to 211.906, a local school district or an intermediate school               

                                                                                

24  district upon the captured assessed value of real and personal              

                                                                                

25  property in a development area shall be determined separately for           

                                                                                

26  the levy by the state, each school district, and each                       

                                                                                

27  intermediate school district as the product of                              


                                                                                

1   sub-subparagraphs (A) and (B):                                              

                                                                                

2       (A) The percentage which the total ad valorem taxes and                     

                                                                                

3   specific local taxes available for distribution by law to the               

                                                                                

4   state, local school district, or intermediate school district,              

                                                                                

5   respectively, bears to the aggregate amount of ad valorem millage           

                                                                                

6   taxes and specific taxes available for distribution by law to the           

                                                                                

7   state, each local school district, and each intermediate school             

                                                                                

8   district.                                                                   

                                                                                

9       (B) The maximum amount of ad valorem property taxes and                     

                                                                                

10  specific local taxes considered tax increment revenues under                

                                                                                

11  subparagraph (ii).