AI-assisted research summary: A joint public agency has limited tax powers, cannot levy a local option sales tax, and must hold an election before issuing certain bonds and pledging property tax levy authority.
(1) Subject to subsection (4) of this section, a joint public agency shall have only those powers of taxation as one or more of the participating public agencies has and only as specifically provided in the agreement proposing creation of the joint public agency, except that a joint public agency shall not levy a local option sales tax. Participating public agencies may agree to allow the joint public agency to levy a property tax rate not to exceed a limit as provided in the agreement if the agreement also limits the levy authority of the overlapping participating public agencies collectively to the same amount. The levy authority of a joint public agency shall be allocated by the city or county as provided in section 77-3443, and the agreement may require allocation of levy authority by the city or county. (2) If one or more of the participating public agencies is a municipality, the agreement may allow any occupation or wheel tax to be extended over the area encompassed by the joint public agency at a rate uniform to that of the city or village for the purpose of providing revenue to finance the services to be provided by the joint public agency. The tax shall not be extended until the procedures governing enactment by the municipality are followed by the joint public agency, including any requirement for a public vote. (3) If the agreement calls for the allocation of property tax levy authority to the joint public agency, the amount of the allocation to the joint public agency and from each participating public agency shall be reported to the Property Tax Administrator. (4)(a) Prior to the issuance of bonds and the pledge of property tax levy authority allocated to a joint public agency to pay the principal of and interest on bonds to be issued by the joint public agency, the joint public agency shall hold an election to present the question of issuing such bonds and levying such tax to the registered voters of the participating public agency which allocated such property tax levy authority. Such election shall be held at a special election called for such purpose or an election held in conjunction with a statewide or local primary or general election. (b) If a ballot question is required to be submitted to the registered voters of more than one participating public agency pursuant to subdivision (a) of this subsection and if the participating public agencies have overlapping jurisdiction of any geographic area, the registered voters residing in the geographic area subject to overlapping jurisdiction shall only be entitled to one vote on the ballot question. (c) A joint public agency may issue refunding bonds as authorized in section 13-2537 which are payable from the same security and tax levy authority as bonds being refunded without holding an election as required by this subsection if the issuance of the refunding bonds does not allow additional principal and does not allow extension of the final maturity date of the indebtedness. History: Laws 1999, LB 87, § 7; Laws 2015, LB132, § 1.