Bill Text: MI SB0290 | 2013-2014 | 97th Legislature | Introduced

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Bill Title: Education; financing; school district's permissible use of sinking funds; expand to include school buses, technology, and security. Amends sec. 1212 of 1976 PA 451 (MCL 380.1212).

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-04-10 - Referred To Committee On Education [SB0290 Detail]

Download: Michigan-2013-SB0290-Introduced.html

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SENATE BILL No. 290

 

 

Introduced by Senator WHITMER.

 

 

     A bill to amend 1976 PA 451, entitled

 

"The revised school code,"

 

by amending section 1212 (MCL 380.1212), as amended by 2003 PA 299.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 1212. (1) If approved by the school electors of the

 

school district, the board of a school district may levy a tax of

 

not to exceed 5 mills on the state equalized valuation taxable

 

value of the real and personal property of the school district each

 

year for a period of not to exceed 20 years , for the purpose of

 

creating a sinking fund to be used for the purchase of real estate

 

for sites for, and the construction or repair of, school buildings,

 

for the purchase or major maintenance of school buses, for the

 

acquisition or upgrading of technology, or for remodeling,

 

equipping, or reequipping a school building for school safety and

 

security pursuant to a local school security policy. The sinking

 

fund tax levy is subject to the 15 mill tax limitation provisions

 

of section 6 of article IX of the state constitution of 1963 and

 

the property tax limitation act, 1933 PA 62, MCL 211.201 to

 

211.217a.

 

     (2) A school district that levies a sinking fund tax under

 

this section shall have an independent audit of its sinking fund

 

conducted annually, including a review of the uses of the sinking

 

fund, and shall submit the audit report to the department of

 

treasury. If the department of treasury determines from the audit

 

report that the sinking fund has been used for a purpose other than

 

those authorized for the sinking fund under this section, the

 

school district shall repay the misused funds to the sinking fund

 

from the school district's operating funds and shall not levy a

 

sinking fund tax under this section after the date the department

 

of treasury makes that determination.

 

     (3) (2) The proposition of levying a sinking fund tax shall be

 

submitted to the school electors of the school district at a

 

regular or special school election.

 

     (4) (3) The question of levying taxes for the purpose of

 

creating a sinking fund shall be by ballot in substantially the

 

following form:

 

 

 

     "Shall _______________________________ levy _______ mills

            (legal name of school district)

 

to create a sinking fund for the purpose of _____________________

 

_________________________________________________________________

 

for a period of _____ years?

 

     Yes ( )

 

     No ( )".

 

     (5) (4) For the purposes of this section, millage approved by

 

the school electors before December 1, 1993 for which the

 

authorization has not expired is considered to be approved by the

 

school electors.

 

     (6) As used in this section, "technology" means that term as

 

defined in section 1351a.