H.B. 393 Enrolled

1

TRUTH IN BONDING
2 2007 GENERAL SESSION
3 STATE OF UTAH
4 Chief Sponsor: Gregory H. Hughes
5 Senate Sponsor: Howard A. Stephenson
6
7 LONG TITLE
8 General Description:
9 This bill requires certain information be included in ballot propositions for bond
10 elections.
11 Highlighted Provisions:
12 This bill:
13 . requires that the ballot proposition for bond elections include information about
14 property tax increases required to service the bonds.
15 Monies Appropriated in this Bill:
16 None
17 Other Special Clauses:
18 None
19 Utah Code Sections Affected:
20 AMENDS:
21 11-14-206, as last amended by Chapter 83, Laws of Utah 2006
22
23 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
24 Section 1. Section 11-14-206 is amended to read:
25 11-14-206. Ballots -- Submission of ballot language -- Form and contents.
26 (1) At least 75 days before the election, the governing body shall prepare and submit to
27 the election officer:
28 (a) a ballot title for the bond proposition that includes the name of the local political
29 subdivision issuing the bonds and the word "bond" or an identification of the type of bonds;

30 and
31 (b) a ballot proposition that meets the requirements of Subsection (2).
32 (2) (a) The ballot proposition shall include:
33 (i) the maximum principal amount of the bonds;
34 (ii) the maximum number of years from the issuance of the bonds to final maturity;
35 [and]
36 (iii) the general purpose for which the bonds are to be issued[.]; and
37 (iv) if issuance of the bonds will require the increase of the property tax imposed upon
38 the average value of a residence by an amount that is greater than or equal to $15 per year, the
39 following information in substantially the following form:
40 "NOTICE OF PROPERTY TAX INCREASE DUE TO BOND ISSUANCE
41 Passage of the proposition means that the tax on a (insert the average value of a
42 residence in the taxing entity rounded to the nearest thousand dollars) residence would
43 increase $_______ per year.
44 The tax on a (insert the value of a business having the same value as the average value
45 of a residence in the taxing entity) business would increase $______ per year."
46 (b) The purpose of the bonds may be stated in general terms and need not specify the
47 particular projects for which the bonds are to be issued or the specific amount of bond proceeds
48 to be expended for each project.
49 (c) If the bonds are to be payable in part from tax proceeds and in part from the
50 operating revenues of the local political subdivision, or from any combination of tax proceeds
51 and operating revenues, the bond proposition shall indicate those payment sources, but need
52 not specify how the bonds are to be divided between those sources of payment.
53 (d) (i) The bond proposition shall be followed by the words, "For the issuance of
54 bonds" and "Against the issuance of bonds," with appropriate boxes in which the voter may
55 indicate his choice.
56 (ii) Nothing in Subsection (2)(d)(i) prohibits the addition of descriptive information
57 about the bonds.

58 (3) If a bond proposition is submitted to a vote on the same day as any other election
59 held in the local political subdivision calling the bond election, the bond proposition may be
60 combined with the candidate ballot in a manner consistent with Section 20A-6-301 ,
61 20A-6-303 , or 20A-6-402 .
62 (4) The ballot form shall comply with the requirements of Title 20A, Chapter 6, Ballot
63 Form.