Iowa Code § 403.19 — IA Code / Title IX / Chapter 403 / Section 403.19
Division of revenue from taxation — tax increment financing.
Status: in_force

A municipality may provide by ordinance that taxes levied on taxable property in an urban renewal area each year by or for the benefit of the state, city, county, school district, or other taxing district, shall be divided as follows:

(1) (a) Unless otherwise provided in this section, that portion of the taxes which would be produced by the rate at which the tax is levied each year by or for each of the taxing districts upon the total sum of the assessed value of the taxable property in the urban renewal area, as shown on the assessment roll as of January 1 of the calendar year preceding the first calendar year in which the municipality certifies to the county auditor the amount of loans, advances, indebtedness, or bonds payable from the division of property tax revenue, or on the assessment roll last equalized prior to the date of initial adoption of the urban renewal plan if the plan was adopted prior to July 1, 1972, shall be allocated to and when collected be paid into the fund for the respective taxing district as taxes by or for the taxing district into which all other property taxes are paid. However, the municipality may choose to divide that portion of the taxes which would be produced by levying the municipality’s portion of the total tax rate levied by or for the municipality upon the total sum of the assessed value of the taxable property in the urban renewal area, as shown on the assessment roll as of January 1 of the calendar year preceding the effective date of the ordinance and if the municipality so chooses, an affected taxing entity may allow a municipality to divide that portion of the taxes which would be produced by levying the affected taxing district’s portion of the total tax rate levied by or for the affected taxing entity upon the total sum of the assessed value of the taxable property in the urban renewal area, as shown on the assessment roll as of January 1 of the calendar year preceding the effective date of the ordinance. This choice to divide a portion of the taxes shall not be construed to change the effective date of the division of property tax revenue with respect to an urban renewal plan in existence on July 1, 1994.

(1) (b) For the purpose of allocating taxes levied by or for any taxing district which did not include the territory in an urban renewal area on the effective date of the ordinance or initial adoption of the plan, but to which the territory has been annexed or otherwise included after the effective date, the assessment roll applicable to property in the annexed territory as of January 1 of the calendar year preceding the effective date of the ordinance, which amends the plan to include the annexed area, shall be used in determining the assessed valuation of the taxable property in the annexed area.

(1) (c) For the purposes of dividing taxes under section 260E.4, the applicable assessment roll for purposes of paragraph “a” shall be the assessment roll as of January 1 of the calendar year preceding the first written agreement providing that all or a portion of program costs are to be paid for by incremental property taxes. The community college shall file a copy of the agreement with the appropriate assessor. The assessor may, within fourteen days of such filing, physically inspect the applicable taxable business property. If upon such inspection the assessor determines that there has been a change in the value of the property from the value as shown on the assessment roll as of January 1 of the calendar year preceding the filing of the agreement and such change in value is due to new construction, additions or improvements to existing structures, or remodeling of existing structures for which a building permit was required, the assessor shall promptly determine the value of the property as of the inspection in the manner provided in chapter 441 and that value shall be included for purposes of the jobs training project in the assessed value of the employer’s taxable business property as shown on the assessment roll as of January 1 of the calendar year preceding the filing of the agreement. The assessor, within thirty days of such filing, shall notify the community college and the employer or business of that valuation which shall be included in the assessed valuation for purposes of this subsection and section 260E.4. The value determined by the assessor shall reflect the change in value due solely to new construction, additions or improvements to existing structures, or remodeling of existing structures for which a building permit was required.

(2) (a) That portion of the taxes each year in excess of such amount shall be allocated to and when collected be paid into a special fund of the municipality to pay the principal of and interest on loans, moneys advanced to, or indebtedness, whether funded, refunded, assumed, or otherwise, including bonds issued under the authority of section 403.9, subsection 1, incurred by the municipality to finance or refinance, in whole or in part, an urban renewal project within the area, and to provide assistance for low and moderate income family housing as provided in section 403.22. However, except as provided in paragraph “b”, taxes for the regular and voter-approved physical plant and equipment levy of a school district imposed pursuant to section 298.2 and taxes for the instructional support program of a school district imposed pursuant to section 257.19, taxes for the payment of bonds and interest of each taxing district, and taxes imposed under section 346.27, subsection 22, related to joint county-city buildings shall be collected against all taxable property within the taxing district without limitation by the provisions of this subsection.

(2) (b) All or a portion of the taxes for the physical plant and equipment levy shall be paid by the school district to the municipality if the auditor certifies to the school district by July 1 the amount of such levy that is necessary to pay the principal and interest on bonds issued by the municipality to finance an urban renewal project, which bonds were issued before July 1, 2001. Indebtedness incurred to refund bonds issued prior to July 1, 2001, shall not be included in the certification. Such school district shall pay over the amount certified by November 1 and May 1 of the fiscal year following certification to the school district.

(2) (b) All or a portion of the taxes for the instructional support program levy of a school district shall be paid by the school district to the municipality if the auditor, pursuant to subsection 11, certifies to the school district by July 1 the amount of such levy that is necessary to pay the principal and interest on bonds issued or other indebtedness incurred by the municipality to finance an urban renewal project if such bonds or indebtedness were issued or incurred on or before April 24, 2012. Such school district shall pay over the amount certified by November 1 and May 1 of the fiscal year following certification to the school district.

(2) (b) In lieu of payment to a municipality under subparagraph division (a), a school district may by resolution of the board of directors of the school district approve at a regular meeting of the board of directors the payment of all or a portion of the instructional support program property tax revenue excluded under paragraph “a”, to the municipality for the payment of principal and interest on such bonds issued or such other indebtedness incurred by the municipality before, on, or after April 24, 2012.

(2) (c) Unless and until the total assessed valuation of the taxable property in an urban renewal area exceeds the total assessed value of the taxable property in such area as shown by the last equalized assessment roll referred to in subsection 1, all of the taxes levied and collected upon the taxable property in the urban renewal area shall be paid into the funds for the respective taxing districts as taxes by or for the taxing districts in the same manner as all other property taxes. When such loans, advances, indebtedness, and bonds, if any, and interest thereon, have been paid, all moneys thereafter received from taxes upon the taxable property in such urban renewal area shall be paid into the funds for the respective taxing districts in the same manner as taxes on all other property.

(2) (d) In those instances where a school district has entered into an agreement pursuant to section 279.64 for sharing of school district taxes levied and collected from valuation described in this subsection and released to the school district, the school district shall transfer the taxes as provided in the agreement.

(3) The portion of taxes mentioned in subsection 2 and the special fund into which they shall be paid, may be irrevocably pledged by a municipality for the payment of the principal and interest on loans, advances, bonds issued under the authority of section 403.9, subsection 1, or indebtedness incurred by a municipality to finance or refinance, in whole or in part, the urban renewal project within the area.

(4) As used in this section the word “taxes” includes, but is not limited to, all levies on an ad valorem basis upon land or real property.

(5) An ordinance adopted under this section providing for a division of revenue shall be filed in the office of the county auditor of each county where the property that is subject to the ordinance is located.

(6) (a) A municipality shall certify to the county auditor on or before December 1 the amount of loans, advances, indebtedness, or bonds, including interest negotiated on such loans, advances, indebtedness, or bonds, which qualify for payment from the special fund referred to in subsection 2, for each urban renewal area in the municipality, and the filing of the certificate shall make it a duty of the auditor to provide for the division of taxes in each subsequent year without further certification, except as provided in paragraphs “b” and “c”, until the amount of the loans, advances, indebtedness, or bonds is paid to the special fund. Such certification shall include all amounts which qualify for payment from the special fund referred to in subsection 2 during the next fiscal year and all amounts which qualify for payment from the special fund in any subsequent fiscal year. If any loans, advances, indebtedness, or bonds are issued which qualify for payment from the special fund and which are in addition to amounts already certified, the municipality shall certify the amount of the additional obligations on or before December 1 of the year such obligations were issued, and the filing of the certificate shall make it a duty of the auditor to provide for the division of taxes in each subsequent year without further certification, except as provided in paragraphs “b” and “c”, until the amount of the loans, advances, indebtedness, or bonds is paid to the special fund. Any subsequent certifications under this subsection shall not include amounts previously certified.

(6) (a) A certification made under this paragraph “a” shall include the date that the individual loans, advances, indebtedness, or bonds were initially approved by the governing body of the municipality.

(6) (b) If the amount certified in paragraph “a” is reduced by payment from sources other than the division of taxes, by a refunding or refinancing of the obligation which results in lowered principal and interest on the amount of the obligation, or for any other reason, the municipality on or before December 1 of the year the action was taken which resulted in the reduction shall certify the amount of the reduction to the county auditor.

(6) (c) In any year, the county auditor shall, upon receipt of a certified request from a municipality filed on or before December 1, increase the amount to be allocated under subsection 1 in order to reduce the amount to be allocated in the following fiscal year to the special fund, to the extent that the municipality does not request allocation to the special fund of the full portion of taxes which could be collected. Upon receipt of a certificate from a municipality, the auditor shall mail a copy of the certificate to each affected taxing district.

(6) (d) For purposes of this section, “indebtedness” includes but is not limited to written agreements whereby the municipality agrees to exempt, rebate, refund, or reimburse property taxes, provide a grant for property taxes paid, or make a direct payment of taxes, with moneys in the special fund referred to in subsection 2, and bonds, notes, or other obligations that are secured by or subject to payment from moneys appropriated by the municipality from moneys in the special fund referred to in subsection 2.

(7) Tax collections within each taxing district may be allocated to the entire taxing district including the taxes on the valuations determined under subsection 1 and to the special fund created under subsection 2 in the proportion of their taxable valuations determined as provided in this section.

(8) For any fiscal year, a municipality may certify to the county auditor for physical plant and equipment revenue necessary for payment of principal and interest on bonds issued prior to July 1, 2001, only if the municipality certified for such revenue for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2000. A municipality shall not certify to the county auditor for a school district more than the amount the municipality certified for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2000. If for any fiscal year a municipality fails to certify to the county auditor for a school district by July 1 the amount of physical plant and equipment revenue necessary for payment of principal and interest on such bonds, as provided in subsection 2, the school district is not required to pay over the revenue to the municipality. If a school district and a municipality are unable to agree on the amount of physical plant and equipment revenue certified by the municipality for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2001, either party may request that the state appeal board review and finally pass upon the amount that may be certified. Such appeals must be presented in writing to the state appeal board no later than July 31 following certification. The burden shall be on the municipality to prove that the physical plant and equipment levy revenue is necessary to pay principal and interest on bonds issued prior to July 1, 2001. A final decision must be issued by the state appeal board no later than the following October 1.

(9) (a) Moneys from any source deposited into the special fund created in this section shall not be expended for or otherwise used in connection with an urban renewal project approved on or after July 1, 2012, that includes the relocation of a commercial or industrial enterprise not presently located within the municipality, unless one of the following occurs:

(9) (a) The local governing body of the municipality where the commercial or industrial enterprise is currently located and the local governing body of the municipality where the commercial or industrial enterprise is proposing to relocate have either entered into a written agreement concerning the relocation of the commercial or industrial enterprise or have entered into a written agreement concerning the general use of economic incentives to attract commercial or industrial development within those municipalities.

(9) (a) The local governing body of the municipality where the commercial or industrial enterprise is proposing to relocate finds that the use of deposits into the special fund for an urban renewal project that includes such a relocation is in the public interest. A local governing body’s finding that an urban renewal project that includes a commercial or industrial enterprise relocation is in the public interest shall include written verification from the commercial or industrial enterprise that the enterprise is actively considering moving all or a part of its operations to a location outside the state and a specific finding that such an out-of-state move would result in a significant reduction in either the enterprise’s total employment in the state or in the total amount of wages earned by employees of the enterprise in the state.

(9) (b) For the purposes of this subsection, “relocation” means the closure or substantial reduction of an enterprise’s existing operations in one area of the state and the initiation of substantially the same operation in the same county or a contiguous county in the state. This subsection does not prohibit an enterprise from expanding its operations in another area of the state provided that existing operations of a similar nature are not closed or substantially reduced.

(10) (a) Interest or earnings received on amounts deposited into the special fund created in this section and the net proceeds from the sale of assets purchased using amounts deposited into the special fund created in this section shall be credited to the special fund and shall be used solely for the purposes specified in this section.

(10) (b) Moneys in the special fund created in this section shall not be transferred to another fund of the municipality except for the payment of loans, advances, indebtedness, or bonds that qualify for payment from the special fund.

(11) For any fiscal year, a municipality may certify to the county auditor for instructional support program property tax revenue necessary for payment of principal and interest on bonds issued or other indebtedness incurred for an urban renewal project on or before April 24, 2012. If for any fiscal year a municipality fails to certify to the county auditor by July 1 the amount of instructional support program property tax revenue necessary for payment of principal and interest on such bonds, as provided in subsection 2, the school district is not required to pay over the revenue to the municipality. If a school district and a municipality are unable to agree on the amount of instructional support program property tax revenue certified by the municipality, either party may request that the state appeal board review and finally pass upon the amount that may be certified. Such appeals must be presented in writing to the state appeal board no later than July 31 following certification. The burden shall be on the municipality to prove that the instructional support program property tax revenue is necessary to pay principal and interest on the applicable bonds. A final decision must be issued by the state appeal board no later than the following October 1.

[C71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §403.19]85 Acts, ch 240, §3 – 5; 88 Acts, ch 1144, §2, 3; 91 Acts, ch 214, §4; 94 Acts, ch 1182, §10 – 12; 96 Acts, ch 1047, §1; 96 Acts, ch 1180, §16; 96 Acts, ch 1204, §22, 23; 2000 Acts, ch 1054, §2, 3; 2001 Acts, ch 176, §40, 41, 47; 2006 Acts, ch 1131, §1; 2006 Acts, ch 1156, §2; 2010 Acts, ch 1061, §180; 2011 Acts, ch 50, §1; 2012 Acts, ch 1060, §6, 7; 2012 Acts, ch 1124, §16 – 21, 26