06/25/2007 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Debt Limitations All Minnesota municipalities (counties, cities, towns and school districts) are subject to statutory "net debt" limitations under the provisions of Minnesota Statutes, Section 475.53. Net debt is defined as the amount remaining after deducting from gross debt the amount of current revenues that are applicable within the current fiscal year to the payment of any debt and the aggregate of the principal of the following: 1. Obligations issued for improvements that are payable wholly or partially from the proceeds of special assessments levied upon benefited property. 2. Warrants or orders having no definite or fixed maturity. 3. Obligations payable wholly from the income from revenue producing conveniences. 4. Obligations issued to create or maintain a permanent improvement revolving fund. 5. Obligations issued for the acquisition and betterment of public waterworks systems, and public lighting, heating or power systems, and any combination thereof, or for any other public convenience from which revenue is or may be derived. 6. Certain debt service loans and capital loans made to school districts. 7. Certain obligations to repay loans. 8. Obligations specifically excluded under the provisions of law authorizing their issuance. 9. Certain obligations to pay pension fund liabilities. 10. Debt service funds for the payment of principal and interest on obligations other than those described above. 11. Obligations issued to pay judgments against the municipality. Levies for General Obligation Debt (Sections 475.61 and 475.74, Minnesota Statutes) Any municipality that issues general obligation debt must, at the time of issuance, certify levies to the county auditor of the county(ies) within which the municipality is situated. Such levies shall be in an amount that if collected in full will, together with estimates of other revenues pledged for payment of the obligations, produce at least five percent in excess of the amount needed to pay principal and interest when due. Notwithstanding any other limitations upon the ability of a taxing unit to levy taxes, its ability to levy taxes for a deficiency in prior levies for payment of general obligation indebtedness is without limitation as to rate or amount. Metropolitan Revenue Distribution (Chapter 473F, Minnesota Statutes) "Fiscal Disparities Law" The Charles R. Weaver Metropolitan Revenue Distribution Act, more commonly known as "Fiscal Disparities," was first implemented for taxes payable in 1975. Forty percent of the increase in commercial - industrial (including public utility and railroad) net tax capacity valuation since 1971 in each assessment district in the Minneapolis /St. Paul seven - county metropolitan area (Anoka, Carver, Dakota, excluding the City of Northfield, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, excluding the City of New Prague, and Washington Counties) is contributed to an area -wide tax base. A distribution index, based on the factors of population and real property market value per capita, is employed in determining what proportion of the net tax capacity value in the area - wide tax base shall be distributed back to each assessment district.