HOUSE BILL No. 6050

 

December 2, 2014, Introduced by Rep. Price and referred to the Committee on Local Government.

 

     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 sections 3, 15, 18, and 24 (MCL 125.1653, 125.1665,

 

125.1668, and 125.1674), section 3 as amended by 2005 PA 115,

 

section 15 as amended by 1993 PA 323, and section 18 as amended by

 

2005 PA 13.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 3. (1) When the governing body of a municipality

 

determines that it is necessary for the best interests of the


 

public to halt property value deterioration and increase property

 

tax valuation where possible in its business district, to eliminate

 

the causes of that deterioration, and to promote economic growth,

 

the governing body may, by resolution, declare its intention to

 

create and provide for the operation of an authority.

 

     (2) In the resolution of intent, the governing body shall set

 

a date for the holding of a public hearing on the adoption of a

 

proposed ordinance creating the authority and designating the

 

boundaries of the downtown district. Notice Through December 31,

 

2014, notice of the public hearing shall be published twice in a

 

newspaper of general circulation in the municipality, not less than

 

20 or more than 40 days before the date of the hearing. Beginning

 

January 1, 2015, the governing body shall provide tier A public

 

notice as provided in the local government public notice act of the

 

public hearing not less than 20 or more than 40 days before the

 

date of the hearing. Not less than 20 days before the hearing, the

 

governing body proposing to create the authority shall also mail

 

notice of the hearing to the property taxpayers of record in the

 

proposed district and for a public hearing to be held after

 

February 15, 1994 to the governing body of each taxing jurisdiction

 

levying taxes that would be subject to capture if the authority is

 

established and a tax increment financing plan is approved.

 

Beginning June 1, 2005, the notice of hearing within the time frame

 

described in this subsection shall be mailed by certified mail to

 

the governing body of each taxing jurisdiction levying taxes that

 

would be subject to capture if the authority is established and a

 

tax increment financing plan is approved. Failure of a property


 

taxpayer to receive the notice shall not invalidate these

 

proceedings. Notice Through December 31, 2014, notice of the

 

hearing shall be posted in at least 20 conspicuous and public

 

places in the proposed downtown district not less than 20 days

 

before the hearing. The notice shall state the date, time, and

 

place of the hearing, and shall describe the boundaries of the

 

proposed downtown district. A citizen, taxpayer, or property owner

 

of the municipality or an official from a taxing jurisdiction with

 

millage that would be subject to capture has the right to be heard

 

in regard to the establishment of the authority and the boundaries

 

of the proposed downtown district. The governing body of the

 

municipality shall not incorporate land into the downtown district

 

not included in the description contained in the notice of public

 

hearing, but it may eliminate described lands from the downtown

 

district in the final determination of the boundaries.

 

     (3) Not more than 60 days after a public hearing held after

 

February 15, 1994, the governing body of a taxing jurisdiction

 

levying ad valorem property taxes that would otherwise be subject

 

to capture may exempt its taxes from capture by adopting a

 

resolution to that effect and filing a copy with the clerk of the

 

municipality proposing to create the authority. The resolution

 

takes effect when filed with that clerk and remains effective until

 

a copy of a resolution rescinding that resolution is filed with

 

that clerk.

 

     (4) Not less than 60 days after the public hearing, if the

 

governing body of the municipality intends to proceed with the

 

establishment of the authority, it shall adopt, by majority vote of


 

its members, an ordinance establishing the authority and

 

designating the boundaries of the downtown district within which

 

the authority shall exercise its powers. The adoption of the

 

ordinance is subject to any applicable statutory or charter

 

provisions in respect to the approval or disapproval by the chief

 

executive or other officer of the municipality and the adoption of

 

an ordinance over his or her veto. This ordinance shall be filed

 

with the secretary of state promptly after its adoption and,

 

through December 31, 2014, shall be published at least once in a

 

newspaper of general circulation in the municipality. Beginning

 

January 1, 2015, the governing body of the municipality shall

 

provide tier A public notice as provided in the local government

 

public notice act of the adopted ordinance.

 

     (5) The governing body of the municipality may alter or amend

 

the boundaries of the downtown district to include or exclude lands

 

from the downtown district pursuant to the same requirements for

 

adopting the ordinance creating the authority.

 

     (6) A municipality that has created an authority may enter

 

into an agreement with an adjoining municipality that has created

 

an authority to jointly operate and administer those authorities

 

under an interlocal agreement under the urban cooperation act of

 

1967, 1967 (Ex Sess) PA 7, MCL 124.501 to 124.512.

 

     (7) A municipality that has created an authority may enter

 

into an agreement with a qualified township to operate its

 

authority in a downtown district in the qualified township under an

 

interlocal agreement under the urban cooperation act of 1967, 1967

 

(Ex Sess) PA 7, MCL 124.501 to 124.512. The interlocal agreement


 

between the municipality and the qualified township shall provide

 

for, but is not limited to, all of the following:

 

     (a) Size and makeup of the board.

 

     (b) Determination and modification of downtown district,

 

business district, and development area.

 

     (c) Modification of development area and development plan.

 

     (d) Issuance and repayment of obligations.

 

     (e) Capture of taxes.

 

     (f) Notice, hearing, and exemption of taxes from capture

 

provisions described in this section.

 

     Sec. 15. (1) The municipal and county treasurers shall

 

transmit to the authority tax increment revenues.

 

     (2) The authority shall expend the tax increment revenues

 

received for the development program only pursuant to the tax

 

increment financing plan. Surplus funds shall revert

 

proportionately to the respective taxing bodies. These revenues

 

shall not be used to circumvent existing property tax limitations.

 

The governing body of the municipality may abolish the tax

 

increment financing plan when it finds that the purposes for which

 

it was established are accomplished. However, the tax increment

 

financing plan shall not be abolished until the principal of, and

 

interest on, bonds issued pursuant to section 16 have been paid or

 

funds sufficient to make the payment have been segregated.

 

     (3) Annually the authority shall submit to the governing body

 

of the municipality and the state tax commission a report on the

 

status of the tax increment financing account. The Through December

 

31, 2014, the report shall be published in a newspaper of general


 

circulation in the municipality. and Beginning January 1, 2015, the

 

governing body of the municipality shall provide tier A public

 

notice as provided in the local government public notice act of the

 

report. The report shall include the following:

 

     (a) The amount and source of revenue in the account.

 

     (b) The amount in any bond reserve account.

 

     (c) The amount and purpose of expenditures from the account.

 

     (d) The amount of principal and interest on any outstanding

 

bonded indebtedness.

 

     (e) The initial assessed value of the project area.

 

     (f) The captured assessed value retained by the authority.

 

     (g) The tax increment revenues received.

 

     (h) The number of jobs created as a result of the

 

implementation of the tax increment financing plan.

 

     (i) Any additional information the governing body or the state

 

tax commission considers necessary.

 

     Sec. 18. (1) The governing body, before adoption of an

 

ordinance approving or amending a development plan or approving or

 

amending a tax increment financing plan, shall hold a public

 

hearing on the development plan. Notice Through December 31, 2014,

 

notice of the time and place of the hearing shall be given by

 

publication twice in a newspaper of general circulation designated

 

by the municipality, the first of which shall be not less than 20

 

days before the date set for the hearing. Notice Beginning January

 

1, 2015, the governing body shall provide tier A public notice as

 

provided in the local government public notice act of the time and

 

place of the hearing, not less than 20 days before the date set for


 

the hearing. Through December 31, 2014, notice of the hearing shall

 

be posted in at least 20 conspicuous and public places in the

 

downtown district not less than 20 days before the hearing. Notice

 

shall also be mailed to all property taxpayers of record in the

 

downtown district not less than 20 days before the hearing.

 

Beginning June 1, 2005, the notice of hearing within the time frame

 

described in this subsection shall be mailed by certified mail to

 

the governing body of each taxing jurisdiction levying taxes that

 

would be subject to capture if the development plan or the tax

 

increment financing plan is approved or amended.

 

     (2) Notice of the time and place of hearing on a development

 

plan shall contain: a description of the proposed development area

 

in relation to highways, streets, streams, or otherwise; a

 

statement that maps, plats, and a description of the development

 

plan, including the method of relocating families and individuals

 

who may be displaced from the area, are available for public

 

inspection at a place designated in the notice, and that all

 

aspects of the development plan will be open for discussion at the

 

public hearing; and other information that the governing body

 

considers appropriate. At the time set for hearing, the governing

 

body shall provide an opportunity for interested persons to be

 

heard and shall receive and consider communications in writing with

 

reference to the development plan. The hearing shall provide the

 

fullest opportunity for expression of opinion, for argument on the

 

merits, and for introduction of documentary evidence pertinent to

 

the development plan. The governing body shall make and preserve a

 

record of the public hearing, including all data presented thereat.


 

     Sec. 24. (1) Meetings of the development area citizens council

 

shall be open to the public. Notice Through December 31, 2014,

 

notice of the time and place of the meetings shall be given by

 

publication in a newspaper of general circulation not less than 5

 

days before the dates set for meetings of the development area

 

citizens council. Beginning January 1, 2015, the department area

 

citizens council shall provide tier B public notice as provided in

 

the local government public notice act of the public meeting not

 

less than 5 days before the date of the meeting. A person present

 

at those meetings shall have reasonable opportunity to be heard.

 

     (2) A record of the meetings of a development area citizens

 

council, including information and data presented, shall be

 

maintained by the council.

 

     (3) A development area citizens council may request of and

 

receive from the authority information and technical assistance

 

relevant to the preparation of the development plan for the

 

development area.

 

     (4) Failure of a development area citizens council to organize

 

or to consult with and be advised by the authority, or failure to

 

advise the governing body, as provided in this act, shall not

 

preclude the adoption of a development plan by a municipality if

 

the municipality complies with the other provisions of this act.

 

     Enacting section 1. This amendatory act does not take effect

 

unless House Bill No. 5560 of the 97th Legislature is enacted into

 

law.