SENATE BILL No. 390

 

 

May 18, 2017, Introduced by Senator CASPERSON and referred to the Committee on Natural Resources.

 

 

 

     A bill to amend 1951 PA 77, entitled

 

"An act providing for the specific taxation of low grade iron ore,

of low grade iron ore mining property, and of rights to minerals in

lands containing low grade iron ores; to provide for the collection

and distribution of the specific tax; to make an appropriation; and

to prescribe the powers and duties of the state geologist and

township supervisors and treasurers with respect to the specific

tax,"

 

by amending section 4 (MCL 211.624), as amended by 2002 PA 443.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 4. (1) If the specific tax determined under section 3 is

 

less than the specific tax determined under section 2, then section

 

2 shall govern.

 

     (2) The township supervisor shall remove from the list of land

 

descriptions assessed and taxed under the general property tax act,

 

1893 PA 206, MCL 211.1 to 211.157, 211.155, the land descriptions

 

of property taxed under this act, and shall enter the land

 


descriptions on a separate roll. The township supervisor shall

 

spread the specific tax against the property and the township

 

treasurer shall collect the specific tax at the same time, in the

 

same manner, and subject to the same collection charges as general

 

property taxes under the general property tax act, 1893 PA 206, MCL

 

211.1 to 211.157. 21.155. Property listed and taxed under this act

 

shall be subject to return and sale for nonpayment of taxes in the

 

same manner, at the same time, and under the same penalties as

 

property returned and sold for nonpayment of taxes levied under the

 

general property tax act, 1893 PA 206, MCL 211.1 to 211.157.

 

211.155. A valuation shall not be determined for a description

 

listed under this act and the property shall not be considered by

 

the county board of commissioners or by the state board of

 

equalization in connection with county or state equalization for

 

taxation purposes. If a low grade iron ore mining property is

 

located in more than 1 township, the state geologist shall

 

determine the portion attributable to each township. Except as

 

provided in subsections (5), and (6), and (7), sums collected under

 

this act shall be distributed by the township treasurer to school

 

districts, this state, and to local governmental units in the same

 

proportion as the general property taxes are distributed. The

 

amounts distributed may be used by the school districts and local

 

governmental units for operating expenses, for capital

 

improvements, and for the accumulation of reserves in a building

 

and site fund or for the payment of interest or principal on bonds.

 

     (3) The tax provided in this act shall be in lieu of an ad

 

valorem tax on any of the following:


     (a) The low grade iron ore.

 

     (b) The low grade iron ore mining property.

 

     (c) The mining of the low grade iron ore mining property.

 

     (d) The production of iron ore pellets or other concentrated

 

or agglomerated products.

 

     (e) The iron ore pellets or other concentrated or agglomerated

 

merchantable products.

 

     (f) Land occupied by or used in connection with the mining,

 

transportation, and beneficiation of the ore and shipping of iron

 

ore pellets or other concentrated or agglomerated merchantable

 

products.

 

     (4) For specific taxes levied after 1993, to determine the

 

proportion for the disbursement of taxes under this section and for

 

attribution of taxes under subsection (5) for the specific taxes

 

collected pursuant to this act, the number of mills levied for

 

local school district operating purposes to be used in the

 

calculation shall equal the number of mills for local school

 

district operating purposes levied in 1993 minus the number of

 

mills levied under the state education tax act, 1993 PA 331, MCL

 

211.901 to 211.906, for the year for which the disbursement is

 

calculated.

 

     (5) For specific taxes levied after 1993 and school operating

 

purposes, subject to subsection (7), the amount that would

 

otherwise be disbursed to a local school district shall be paid

 

instead to the state treasury and credited to the state school aid

 

fund established by section 11 of article IX of the state

 

constitution of 1963.


     (6) The proceeds of the specific tax levied under subsection

 

(1) beginning December 31, 2001 through December 31, 2006 shall be

 

distributed as follows:

 

     (a) To school districts and local governmental units the same

 

amount that they would have been entitled to receive if the

 

specific tax rate were 1.1%.

 

     (b) After the distribution under subdivision (a) is made, the

 

remaining proceeds shall be deposited into the state school aid

 

fund.

 

     (7) For specific taxes levied after 2016, each year the amount

 

that would otherwise be paid to the state treasury and credited to

 

the state school aid fund established by section 11 of article IX

 

of the state constitution of 1963 shall be distributed as follows:

 

     (a) An amount equal to $500,000.00 shall be disbursed to the

 

intermediate school district that serves the county in which the

 

mining property is located to be distributed to school districts in

 

that county for school operating purposes as determined in a

 

written agreement between the intermediate school district and the

 

school districts.

 

     (b) Subsequent to the distribution of funds in subdivision

 

(a), the remainder shall be credited to the state geologist to be

 

held in a trust fund to address requirements under part 631 of the

 

natural resources and environmental protection act, 1994 PA 451,

 

MCL 324.63101 to 324.63110.