August 30, 2006, Introduced by Reps. Gaffney, Hune, Ward, Sak, Gleason, Vander Veen and Shaffer and referred to the Committee on House Oversight, 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 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 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 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 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) multiplied by the current year's millage reduction
fraction, regardless of the number of questions presented at the
election.
(5) A county shall only submit a proposal on a question of
imposing a new countywide millage or increasing or renewing an
existing countywide millage at a general November election. As
used in this subsection, "general November election" means that
term as defined in section 2 of the Michigan election law, 1954 PA
116, MCL 168.2.
(6) (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.