HOUSE BILL No. 4814

 

 

July 12, 2017, Introduced by Reps. Albert, Lower and Lilly and referred to the Committee on Elections and Ethics.

 

     A bill to amend 1893 PA 206, entitled

 

"The general property tax act,"

 

by amending section 24f (MCL 211.24f), as amended by 2000 PA 244.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 24f. (1) If a taxing unit submits a proposal on the

 

question of authorizing the issuance of bonds, imposing a new

 

millage, or increasing or renewing an existing millage, except an

 

ad valorem special assessment millage for police or fire protection

 

under 1951 PA 33, MCL 41.801 to 41.813, the ballot shall must fully

 

disclose each local unit of government to which the revenue from

 

that millage will be disbursed. As used in this subsection:

 

     (a) "Local unit of government" means a county, city, village,

 

township, school district, intermediate school district, community

 

college district, public library, or local authority created under

 

state law.

     (b) "Public library" means that term as defined in section 2

 

of the state aid to public libraries act, 1977 PA 89, MCL 397.552.

 

     (2) In addition to the requirement set forth in subsection (1)

 

and any other requirement provided by law, when submitting a

 

proposal on the question of authorizing a millage rate to be levied

 

under this act, the ballot shall must state all of the following:

 

     (a) The millage rate to be authorized.

 

     (b) The estimated amount of revenue that will be collected in

 

the first year that the millage is authorized and levied.

 

     (c) The duration of the millage in years.

 

     (d) A clear statement of the purpose for the millage.

 

     (e) A clear statement indicating whether the proposed millage

 

is a renewal of a previously authorized millage or the

 

authorization of a new additional millage.

 

     (3) In addition to any other requirement provided by law, when

 

submitting a proposal to authorize the issuance of bonds, the

 

ballot shall must state all of the following:

 

     (a) The principal amount to be borrowed.

 

     (b) The maximum number of years the bonds may be outstanding,

 

exclusive of any refunding.

 

     (c) A clear statement of the purpose for which the proceeds of

 

the bonds will be used.

 

     (d) For bonds other than bonds that are intended to be paid

 

from a separate revenue source or from taxes levied in less than

 

the entire taxing unit, the estimated millage that will be levied

 

for the proposed bonds in the first year that the levy is

 

authorized and the estimated simple average annual millage that

will be required to retire the debt. Inaccuracies in the estimates

 

provided under this subdivision shall not affect the validity of

 

the bonds, the general obligation unlimited tax status requiring

 

the levy of taxes sufficient to pay the bonds, or the results of an

 

election.

 

     (e) For bonds that are intended to be paid from a separate

 

revenue source or from taxes levied in less than the entire taxing

 

unit, the primary source of the revenue that is intended to be used

 

to retire the bonds.

 

     (4) A Before January 1, 2018, a taxing unit shall hold not

 

more than 2 elections in a calendar year concerning the

 

authorization of a millage rate greater than the product of the

 

immediately preceding year's reduced maximum authorized rate or

 

rates as defined in section 34d(16) 34d multiplied by the current

 

year's millage reduction fraction, regardless of the number of

 

questions presented at the election. After December 31, 2017, a

 

local taxing unit shall only submit a proposal on a question of

 

imposing a new millage or increasing or renewing an existing

 

millage at a general November election.

 

     (5) A taxing unit that levies a millage under this act shall

 

not submit a single question to the electors of the taxing unit

 

requesting both the renewal of voter authorized millage and the

 

authorization of new additional millage if the additional millage

 

is greater than 0.5 mill. If authorization to levy a millage has

 

expired and the taxing unit submits to the electors the

 

authorization of a millage greater than the number of expired mills

 

reduced pursuant to the millage reduction in section 34d(11),

34d(7), and if the additional millage is greater than 0.5 mill, the

 

taxing unit shall submit 1 question for authorization of the number

 

of expired mills reduced pursuant to the millage reduction in

 

section 34d(11) 34d(7) and 1 or more additional questions for the

 

authorization of the millage in excess of that amount.

 

     (6) As used in this section, "general November election" means

 

that term as defined in section 2 of the Michigan election law,

 

1954 PA 116, MCL 168.2.

 

     Enacting section 1. This amendatory act takes effect 90 days

 

after the date it is enacted into law.