1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to metropolitan wastewater treatment works; 
  1.3             providing compensation to political subdivisions for 
  1.4             certain lost revenue; amending Minnesota Statutes 
  1.5             1996, section 473.545. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 473.545, is 
  1.8   amended to read: 
  1.9      473.545 [PROPERTY EXEMPT FROM TAXATION.] 
  1.10     Subdivision 1.  [EXEMPTION; ASSESSMENTS.] Any properties, 
  1.11  real or personal, owned, leased, controlled, used, or occupied 
  1.12  by the council for any purpose referred to in Minnesota Statutes 
  1.13  1984, section 473.502, are declared to be acquired, owned, 
  1.14  leased, controlled, used and occupied for public, governmental, 
  1.15  and municipal purposes, and shall be exempt from taxation by the 
  1.16  state or any political subdivision of the state, provided that 
  1.17  such properties shall be subject to special assessments levied 
  1.18  by a political subdivision for a local improvement in amounts 
  1.19  proportionate to and not exceeding the special benefit received 
  1.20  by the properties from such improvement.  No possible use of any 
  1.21  such properties in any manner different from their use as part 
  1.22  of the metropolitan disposal system at the time shall be 
  1.23  considered in determining the special benefit received by such 
  1.24  properties.  All such assessments shall be subject to final 
  1.25  confirmation by the metropolitan council, whose determination of 
  2.1   the benefits shall be conclusive upon the political subdivision 
  2.2   levying the assessment.  
  2.3      Subd. 2.  [COMPENSATION FOR EXEMPTION.] A political 
  2.4   subdivision within the metropolitan area that loses tax revenues 
  2.5   as a result of the tax exemption for regional wastewater 
  2.6   treatment facilities under subdivision 1 must be compensated on 
  2.7   an annual basis by the metropolitan council out of revenues 
  2.8   received from sewer availability charges in an amount equal to 
  2.9   the loss of property tax revenue to the political subdivision 
  2.10  under subdivision 1.