§ 62-891.14. Submitting tax questions to county voters.

A.  As used in this section:

1.  “Authority” means the Oklahoma Development Finance Authority;

2.  “Eligible local government entity” means:

a.a city,

b.a town,

c.a county,

d.any combination of cities, towns, or counties, or

e.a public trust with a beneficiary or beneficiary which is a city, town, county or some combination of such entities as authorized by Section 176 of Title 60 of the Oklahoma Statutes;

3.  “Existing levy” means a tax or other revenue raising mechanism approved by the voters of a county, city or town prior to the effective date of this act;

4.  “Municipality” means an incorporated city or town; and

5.  “Pooled financing” means the use of municipal revenues, derived from a levy imposed pursuant to the authority of Section 2701 of Title 68 of the Oklahoma Statutes, available to one or more municipalities or county revenues, derived from a levy imposed pursuant to the authority of Section 1370 of Title 68 of the Oklahoma Statutes, based upon the local government entity participating in a pooled financing.

B.  Subject to the requirements of Section 1370 of Title 68 of the Oklahoma Statutes, one or more counties may submit to the respective voters of each such county the question of whether to impose a tax not previously imposed, authorized by Section 1370 of Title 68 of the Oklahoma Statutes, in order to provide revenues to repay indebtedness incurred by the Authority for the purposes authorized by the Oklahoma Community Economic Development Pooled Finance Act.  The provisions of this subsection shall be applicable to any one or more counties participating in a pooled financing, regardless of whether any other county, subject to voter approval, will be imposing a tax levy to be used for the purposes of this act for the first time or whether any one or more of such counties, subject to voter approval, will be modifying the purposes of an existing tax levy to allow revenues to be used for the purposes of this act.

C.  Subject to the requirements of Section 1370 of Title 68 of the Oklahoma Statutes, one or more counties may submit to the respective voters of each such county the question of whether to modify an existing tax levy, previously approved by the voters of such county, in order to allow the use of some part or all of the proceeds from the existing tax levy in order to provide revenues to repay indebtedness incurred by the Authority for the purposes authorized by this act.  The provisions of this subsection shall be applicable to any one or more counties participating in a pooled financing, regardless of whether any other county, subject to voter approval, will be imposing a tax levy to be used for the purposes of this act for the first time or whether any one or more of such counties, subject to voter approval, will be modifying the purposes of an existing tax levy to allow revenues to be used for the purposes of this act.

D.  Counties may submit questions authorized by this section regardless of whether the counties are contiguous or adjacent to one another.

E.  A county that submits a question for the imposition of a dedicated tax levy or the modification of an existing tax levy pursuant to the provisions of this section shall specify the type of tax levy and the rate of the levy in the question submitted which shall be clearly identified by the wording of the ballot.

F.  A county may impose a different tax levy or the same type of levy at a different rate than the other counties or a different levy or at a different rate than a participating municipality or municipalities submitting a pooled financing question to the respective voters of the participating jurisdictions.

G.  The duration of the levy shall be identical in all questions submitted for voter approval and shall not exceed twenty-five (25) years.

H.  The ballot for a pooled financing pursuant to the provisions of this act shall clearly indicate:

1.  That the revenues from the tax levy are to be used for the payment of principal, interest and other costs of borrowing authorized by the provisions of this act;

2.  The duration of the obligations to be repaid; and

3.  The projects or assets to be acquired, constructed, improved, maintained or otherwise used by the county as a result of the imposition of the levy.

I.  Revenues derived from a tax levy imposed pursuant to the provisions of this section shall be paid by the county to the Community Economic Development Pooled Finance Revolving Fund created pursuant to Section 15 of this act.

J.  No tax levy imposed pursuant to the provisions of this section shall be repealed until such time as the indebtedness is fully repaid.  In no event shall the duration of the levy be extended beyond the duration approved by the voters of the county.

Added by Laws 2009, c. 309, § 14, eff. July 1, 2009.