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First Substitute H.B. 321

Senator John L. Valentine proposes the following substitute bill:


             1     
BOND ELECTION NOTIFICATION REVISIONS

             2     
2010 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Gregory H. Hughes

             5     
Senate Sponsor: Daniel R. Liljenquist

             6      Cosponsor:Sheryl L. Allen              7     
             8      LONG TITLE
             9      General Description:
             10          This bill modifies notice and ballot requirements for bond elections.
             11      Highlighted Provisions:
             12          This bill:
             13          .    requires a voter information pamphlet to be prepared for certain bond elections and
             14      mailed to all households containing a registered voter who is eligible to vote on the
             15      bonds;
             16          .    requires additional information to be provided in a voter information pamphlet
             17      prepared for a bond election;
             18          .    changes ballot notification requirements by:
             19              .    requiring additional information to be provided on the ballot;
             20              .    deleting a provision requiring the type of bond to be identified on the ballot; and
             21              .    deleting a provision requiring notification of payment sources if the bond is
             22      payable from tax proceeds and operating revenues; and
             23          .    makes technical changes.
             24      Monies Appropriated in this Bill:
             25          None


             26      Other Special Clauses:
             27          None
             28      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             29      AMENDS:
             30          11-14-202, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2009, Chapter 388
             31          11-14-206, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2007, Chapter 351
             32     
             33      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             34          Section 1. Section 11-14-202 is amended to read:
             35           11-14-202. Notice of election -- Contents -- Publication -- Mailing.
             36          (1) The governing body shall ensure that notice of the election is [published] provided:
             37          (a) (i) [(A)] once per week during three consecutive weeks by publication in a
             38      newspaper [designated] having general circulation in the local political subdivision in
             39      accordance with Section 11-14-316 ; and
             40          [(B)] (ii) the first publication described in Subsection (1)(a)(i)[(A)] occurs not less than
             41      21 nor more than 35 days before the election; [and]
             42          [(C) in a newspaper having general circulation in the local political subdivision; and]
             43          (b) on a website, if available, in accordance with Section 45-1-101 for three weeks[.];
             44      and
             45          (c) in a local political subdivision where there is no newspaper of general circulation,
             46      by posting notice of the bond election in at least five public places in the local political
             47      subdivision at least 21 days before the election.
             48          (2) When the debt service on the bonds to be issued will increase the property tax
             49      imposed upon the average value of a residence by an amount that is greater than or equal to $15
             50      per year, the governing body shall[,] prepare and mail a voter information pamphlet:
             51          (a) at least seven days but not more than 30 days before the bond election[, if the bond
             52      election is not held on the date of a regular primary election, a municipal primary election, a
             53      regular general election, or a municipal general election, either mail: (a) written notice of the
             54      bond election on a minimum three inch by five inch postcard to every household containing a
             55      registered voter who is eligible to vote on the bonds; or (b) a voter information pamphlet
             56      prepared by the governing body, if one is prepared,];


             57          (b) to each household containing a registered voter who is eligible to vote on the
             58      bonds; and
             59          (c) that includes the information required by [Subsection] Subsections (3) and (4).
             60          [(3) (a) Except as provided in Subsection (3)(b), notice of the bond election need not
             61      be posted.]
             62          [(b) (i) In a local political subdivision where there is no newspaper of general
             63      circulation, the legislative body may require that notice of a bond election be given by posting
             64      in lieu of the publication requirements of Subsection (1)(a)(i).]
             65          [(ii) When the governing body imposes a posting requirement, the governing body
             66      shall ensure that notice of the bond election is posted in at least five public places in the local
             67      political subdivision at least 21 days before the election.]
             68          [(4) Any notice] (3) The notice and voter information pamphlet required by this
             69      section shall include:
             70          (a) the date and place of the election;
             71          (b) the hours during which the polls will be open; and
             72          (c) the title and text of the ballot proposition.
             73          (4) The voter information pamphlet required by this section shall include:
             74          (a) the information required by Subsection (3); and
             75          (b) an explanation of the property tax impact, if any, of the issuance of the bonds,
             76      which may be based on information the governing body determines to be useful, including:
             77          (i) expected debt service on the bonds to be issued;
             78          (ii) a description of the purpose, remaining principal balance, and maturity date of any
             79      outstanding general obligation bonds of the issuer;
             80          (iii) funds other than property taxes available to pay debt service on general obligation
             81      bonds;
             82          (iv) timing of expenditures of bond proceeds;
             83          (v) property values; and
             84          (vi) any additional information that the governing body determines may be useful to
             85      explain the property tax impact of issuance of the bonds.
             86          (5) The governing body shall pay the costs associated with the notice required by this
             87      section.


             88          Section 2. Section 11-14-206 is amended to read:
             89           11-14-206. Ballots -- Submission of ballot language -- Form and contents.
             90          (1) At least 75 days before the election, the governing body shall prepare and submit to
             91      the election officer:
             92          (a) a ballot title for the bond proposition that includes the name of the local political
             93      subdivision issuing the bonds and the word "bond" [or an identification of the type of bonds];
             94      and
             95          (b) a ballot proposition that meets the requirements of Subsection (2).
             96          (2) (a) The ballot proposition shall include:
             97          (i) the maximum principal amount of the bonds;
             98          (ii) the maximum number of years from the issuance of the bonds to final maturity;
             99          (iii) the general purpose for which the bonds are to be issued; and
             100          (iv) if issuance of the bonds will require the increase of the property tax imposed upon
             101      the average value of a residence by an amount that is greater than or equal to $15 per year, the
             102      following information in substantially the following form:
             103     
["NOTICE OF PROPERTY TAX INCREASE DUE TO BOND ISSUANCE]

             104          [Passage of the proposition means that the tax on a (insert the average value of a
             105      residence in the taxing entity rounded to the nearest thousand dollars) residence would
             106      increase $_______ per year.]
             107          [The tax on a (insert the value of a business having the same value as the average value
             108      of a residence in the taxing entity) business would increase $______ per year."]
             109          " PROPERTY TAX COST OF BONDS:
             110          If the bonds are issued as planned, an annual property tax to pay debt service on the
             111      bonds will be required over a period of ____ years in the estimated amount of $____ on a
             112      (insert the average value of a residence in the taxing entity rounded to the nearest thousand
             113      dollars) residence and in the estimated amount of $____ on a business property having the
             114      same value.
             115          [If applicable] If there are other outstanding bonds, an otherwise scheduled tax
             116      decrease may not occur if these bonds are issued.
             117          The foregoing information is only an estimate and is not a limit on the amount of taxes
             118      that the governing body may be required to levy in order to pay debt service on the bonds. The


             119      governing body is obligated to levy taxes to the extent provided by law in order to pay the
             120      bonds."
             121          (b) The purpose of the bonds may be stated in general terms and need not specify the
             122      particular projects for which the bonds are to be issued or the specific amount of bond proceeds
             123      to be expended for each project.
             124          (c) If the bonds are to be payable in part from tax proceeds and in part from the
             125      operating revenues of the local political subdivision, or from any combination of tax proceeds
             126      and operating revenues, the bond proposition [shall] may indicate those payment sources, but
             127      need not specify how the bonds are to be divided between those sources of payment.
             128          (d) (i) The bond proposition shall be followed by the words, "For the issuance of
             129      bonds" and "Against the issuance of bonds," with appropriate boxes in which the voter may
             130      indicate his choice.
             131          (ii) Nothing in Subsection (2)(d)(i) prohibits the addition of descriptive information
             132      about the bonds.
             133          (3) If a bond proposition is submitted to a vote on the same day as any other election
             134      held in the local political subdivision calling the bond election, the bond proposition may be
             135      combined with the candidate ballot in a manner consistent with Section 20A-6-301 ,
             136      20A-6-303 , or 20A-6-402 .
             137          (4) The ballot form shall comply with the requirements of Title 20A, Chapter 6, Ballot
             138      Form.


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