1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to taxes; property; authorizing tax levies in 
  1.3             subwatershed units; authorizing a watershed levy for 
  1.4             certain increased costs; changing the levy limit for a 
  1.5             watershed district fund and changing its name; 
  1.6             amending Minnesota Statutes 2000, sections 103B.241, 
  1.7             subdivision 1; 103D.905, subdivision 3, and by adding 
  1.8             a subdivision. 
  1.9   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.10     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 103B.241, 
  1.11  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  1.12     Subdivision 1.  [WATERSHED PLANS AND PROJECTS.] 
  1.13  Notwithstanding chapter 103D, a local government unit or 
  1.14  watershed management organization may levy a tax within the 
  1.15  entire watershed or within a subwatershed unit to pay the 
  1.16  increased costs of preparing a plan under sections 103B.231 and 
  1.17  103B.235 or for projects identified in an approved and adopted 
  1.18  plan necessary to implement the purposes of section 
  1.19  103B.201.  The tax levy must be certified to the county auditor. 
  1.20  The proceeds of any tax levied under this section shall be 
  1.21  deposited in a separate fund and expended only for the purposes 
  1.22  authorized by this section.  Watershed management organizations 
  1.23  and local government units may accumulate the proceeds of levies 
  1.24  as an alternative to issuing bonds to finance improvements.  
  1.25     <b>[EFFECTIVE DATE.]</b> This section is effective for taxes 
  1.26  levied in 2001, payable in 2002, and thereafter. 
  1.27     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 103D.905, 
  2.1   subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
  2.2      Subd. 3.  [ADMINISTRATIVE GENERAL FUND.] An administrative 
  2.3   A general fund, consisting of an ad valorem tax levy, may not 
  2.4   exceed 0.02418 percent of taxable market value, or $125,000, 
  2.5   whichever is less $345,000.  The money in the fund shall be used 
  2.6   for general administrative expenses and for the construction or 
  2.7   implementation and maintenance of projects of common benefit to 
  2.8   the watershed district.  The managers may make an annual levy 
  2.9   for the administrative general fund as provided in section 
  2.10  103D.911.  In addition to the annual administrative general 
  2.11  levy, the managers may annually levy a tax not to exceed 0.00798 
  2.12  percent of taxable market value for a period not to exceed 15 
  2.13  consecutive years to pay the cost attributable to the basic 
  2.14  water management features of projects initiated by petition of a 
  2.15  municipality of the watershed district.  
  2.16     <b>[EFFECTIVE DATE.]</b> This section is effective for taxes 
  2.17  levied in 2001, payable in 2002, and thereafter. 
  2.18     Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 103D.905, is 
  2.19  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  2.20     Subd. 3a.  [WATERSHED PLANS AND PROJECTS.] A watershed 
  2.21  district may levy an ad valorem tax to pay the increased costs 
  2.22  of preparing a plan under sections 103D.405 and 103D.411 and for 
  2.23  nondrainage projects identified in an approved and adopted plan 
  2.24  necessary to implement the purposes of section 103D.201. 
  2.25     <b>[EFFECTIVE DATE.]</b> This section is effective for taxes 
  2.26  levied in 2001, payable in 2002, and thereafter.