1. Ordinance #2004-1 first read - Laserfiche WebLink

SUBJECT: ORDINANCE #2004-1 (VECTOR/WEED BUILDING PROJECT) Page 2 of 4 AUTHORITY: The County is operating under a Home Rule Charter approved by the voters of Cass County on November 1, 1994 with 57.75% positive vote. Paragraph 2 of Article 2, Home Rule Powers of County, reads in part: "Control its finances and fiscal affairs; appropriate money for its purposes, and make payments of its debts and expenses; subject to the limitations of Article 9, levy and collect taxes, excises, fees and special assessments for benefits conferred, for its public and proprietary functions, activities, operations, undertakings, and improvements; contract debts, borrow money, issue bonds, warrants, and other evidences of indebtedness; establish charges for any county or other services to the extent authorized by state law, and establish debt and mill levy limitations subject to Article 9." Article 9 of the Home Rule Charter deals with revenue authority and Section 2 - Limitations, Subsection 1 reads in part: "No ordinance or resolution may be adopted by the Board of County Commissioners levying property taxes in excess of 75 mills in total until referred by the Board of County Commissioners for approval by the electorate at any regular county election." The tax levied to retire the debt contracted for this building will come from a combination of Vector District and Weed District levies allowed under their respective sections of the North Dakota Century Code to the extent available and taxes levied by the county within its 75 mill levy authority up to and including ½ of 1 mill for a period not to exceed 10 years. The current (2003) mill levy for the county is 65.00 mills, or 10.00 mills below its current authority. This process and manner is different from and supersedes that provided in North Dakota Century Code 11-11-16 and 11-16-18. BUILDING COMMITTEE: A building committee was appointed by then Chairman of the Cass County Commission, Scott Wagner, and approved by the County Commission on December 15, 2003. The committee is made up of the following individuals and any other members as subsequently appointed by the County Commission: Robyn Sorum, County Commissioner and Chair of the committee Vern Bennett, County Commissioner Keith Berndt, County Engineer and supervisor of the Vector and Weed programs Michael Montplaisir, County Auditor Bonnie Johnson, County Coordinator