Bill Text: CT HB06292 | 2011 | General Assembly | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: An Act Concerning The Payment Of Personal Property Taxes By Certain Telecommunications Companies.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)

Status: (Passed) 2011-04-27 - Transmitted to the Secretary of State [HB06292 Detail]

Download: Connecticut-2011-HB06292-Introduced.html

General Assembly

 

Raised Bill No. 6292

January Session, 2011

 

LCO No. 2902

 

*02902_______PD_*

Referred to Committee on Planning and Development

 

Introduced by:

 

(PD)

 

AN ACT CONCERNING SPECIAL TAXING DISTRICTS.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 7-325 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2011):

(a) Upon the petition of fifteen or more voters, as defined by section 7-6, of any town, specifying the limits of a proposed district for any or all of the purposes set forth in section 7-326, the selectmen of such town shall call a meeting of the voters residing within such specified limits to act upon such petition, which meeting shall be held at such place within such town and such hour as the selectmen designate, [within] not later than the date thirty days after the date such petition has been received by such selectmen. Such limits shall contain only contiguous property, except any proposed district which is proposed to be established only to plan, lay out, acquire, construct, reconstruct, repair, maintain, operate and regulate the use of a community water system or to construct and maintain drains and sewers or both and which does not exercise any of the other powers enumerated in section 7-326, may contain noncontiguous properties if the properties proposed to be included are, or are to be, served by a common water or sewer main. Such meeting shall be called by publication of a written notice of the same, signed by the selectmen, at least fourteen days before the time fixed for such meeting in two successive issues of some newspaper published or circulated in such town. Not later than twenty-four hours before such meeting, (1) two hundred or more voters or ten per cent of the total number of voters, whichever is less, may petition the selectmen in writing for a referendum, or (2) the selectmen in their discretion may order a referendum, on the sole question of whether the proposed district should be established. Any such referendum shall be held not less than seven nor more than fourteen days after the receipt of such petition or the date of such order, on a day to be set by the selectmen for a vote by paper ballots or by a "yes" or "no" vote on the voting machines, during the hours between twelve o'clock noon and eight o'clock p.m.; except that any town may, by vote of its selectmen, provide for an earlier hour for opening the polls but not earlier than six o'clock a.m., notwithstanding the provisions of any special act to the contrary. If two-thirds of the voters casting votes in such referendum vote in favor of establishing the proposed district, the selectmen shall reconvene such meeting not later than the date seven days after the day on which the referendum is held. Upon approval of the petition for the proposed district by two-thirds of the voters present at such meeting, or if a referendum is held, upon the reconvening of such meeting after the referendum, the voters may name the district and, upon the vote of a majority of such voters, choose necessary officers therefor to hold office until the first annual meeting thereof; and the district shall, upon the filing of the first report required pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, thereupon be a body corporate and politic and have the powers, not inconsistent with the general statutes, in relation to the objects for which it was established, that are necessary for the accomplishment of such objects, including the power to lay and collect taxes. The clerk of such district shall cause its name and a description of its territorial limits and of any additions that may be made thereto to be recorded in the land records of each town in which such district is located.

(b) Any district may enlarge or reduce its territorial limits if the board of directors of the district approves a resolution proposing such an enlargement or reduction and stating the proposed boundaries of the area proposed to be included or excluded, as the case may be, provided: (1) The board of directors of the district shall call a meeting of voters of the area proposed to be included or excluded, which meeting shall be held [within] not later than the date thirty days [of] after the date of the board of directors' approval of such resolution and shall be called by publication of a written notice of the same, signed by the members of the board of directors of the district, at least fourteen days before the time fixed for such meeting in two successive issues of some newspaper published or circulated in such town, provided not later than twenty-four hours before any such meeting, two hundred or more such voters or ten per cent of the total number of such voters, whichever is less, may petition the clerk of the district, in writing, that a referendum on the question of whether the area proposed to be included or excluded should join or leave the district be held in the manner provided in section 7-327, as amended by this act; (2) a two-thirds majority of the voters of the area proposed to be included or excluded in attendance at such meeting, or, if a referendum is held, two-thirds of such voters casting votes in such referendum, vote in favor of joining or leaving such district; (3) that any area to be added is contiguous with some portion of the existing district, and (4) if the enlargement of the territorial limits of the district will overlap the territorial limits of another district within the town, the legislative body of the town approves such enlargement. If any district enlarges or reduces its territorial limits, the clerk of such district shall notify the town clerk of each town affected by such enlargement or reduction [within] not later than the date thirty days after the date of the vote.

(c) The clerk of each district created pursuant to this chapter or any provisions of the general statutes or any special act, shall report to the town clerk of each town in which such district is located: (1) If created by approval of a petition pursuant to subsection (a) of this section on or after July 1, 1987, [within] not later than the date seven days after the date of such approval; and (2) on or before July 31, 1993, and annually thereafter for each such district, irrespective of the date of creation. The first report filed after the creation of a district shall include a list of the officers of such district, a copy of the charter or special act of such district and such other information on the organization and the financial status of such district as the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management may recommend. A copy of the charter or special act of such district shall be included in any subsequent report if such charter or special act was amended after the date of the previous filing. No district, irrespective of the date of creation, created by approval of a petition pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall exist as a body corporate and politic until the clerk of such district has filed at least one report required by this subsection. If a district is located in more than one town, the report shall be filed by the district clerk with the town clerk of each town in which the district is located.

(d) Any fine imposed on and after July 1, 1992, on a clerk for failure to file a report required pursuant to subsection (c) of this section shall be waived.

Sec. 2. Subsection (b) of section 7-327 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2011):

(b) The president of the district shall be the chief executive officer thereof and shall be a member of the board of directors. [He] The president shall preside at all meetings of the voters of the district and at all meetings of the directors, and at all meetings where [he] the president presides, [he] the president shall vote to dissolve a tie when necessary. [He] The president shall designate the duties devolving upon each of the five directors, shall approve all bills for payment by the treasurer and shall be, ex officio, a member of all committees and boards of the district. The vice president shall be a member of the board of directors, and shall have all the authority, power and duties of the president whenever the president vacates his office, is absent or from any cause is unable to perform his duties. The clerk shall be a member of the board of directors, shall keep a record of the minutes of all meetings of the voters and of the board of directors and shall keep at all times a list of the voters of the district. The treasurer shall have charge of the collection and payment of all moneys of the district, under such rules and regulations as shall be prescribed by the board of directors, and shall prepare the annual budget, which shall be reviewed by the board of directors and transmitted with the board's comments and recommendations to the annual budget meeting of the district for adoption.

This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:

Section 1

October 1, 2011

7-325

Sec. 2

October 1, 2011

7-327(b)

Statement of Purpose:

To make technical changes to the statutes concerning special taxing districts for internal consistency.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]

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