Arizona SB 1375: schools; bonds; overrides; funding sources

Bill Text

SB1375 - 531R - I Ver 

 REFERENCE TITLE: schools; bonds; overrides; funding sources

 State of Arizona

 Senate

 Fifty-third Legislature

 First Regular Session

 2017

 SB 1375

 Introduced by 

 Senators 
 Montenegro: Barto, Burges, Farnsworth D, Petersen, Smith; Representative 
 Mitchell

AN 
ACT

AMENDING sections 15‑481 and 15‑491, 
Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to school elections.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it 
enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Section 15-481, Arizona Revised Statutes, 
is amended to read:

START_STATUTE15-481. Override 
election; budget increases; notice; ballot; effect

A. If 
a proposed budget of a school district exceeds the aggregate budget limit for 
the budget year, at least ninety days before the proposed election the 
governing board shall order an override election to be held on the first 
Tuesday following the first Monday in November as prescribed by section 16‑204, 
subsection B, 
paragraph 1, subdivision (d) 
F for the purpose of presenting the 
proposed budget to the qualified electors of the school district who by a 
majority of those voting either shall affirm or reject the budget.� At the same 
time as the order of the election, the governing board shall publicly declare 
the deadline for submitting arguments, as set by the county school 
superintendent pursuant to subsection B, paragraph 9 of this section, to be 
submitted in the informational report and shall immediately post the deadline 
in a prominent location on the district's website.� In addition, the governing 
board shall prepare an alternate budget that does not include an increase in 
the budget of more than the amount permitted as provided in section 15‑905. If 
the qualified electors approve the proposed budget, the governing board of the 
school district shall follow the procedures prescribed in section 15‑905 
for adopting a budget that includes the authorized increase. If the 
qualified electors disapprove the proposed budget, the governing board shall 
follow the procedures prescribed in section 15‑905 for adopting a budget 
that does not include the proposed increase or the portion of the proposed 
increase that exceeds the amount authorized by a previously approved budget 
increase as prescribed in subsection P of this section.

B. The 
county school superintendent shall prepare an informational report on the 
proposed increase in the budget and a sample ballot and, at least forty days 
prior to the election, shall transmit the report and the sample ballot to the 
governing board of the school district. The governing board, upon on receipt of the report and the 
ballot, shall mail or distribute the report and the ballot to the households in 
which qualified electors reside within the school district at least thirty‑five 
days prior to the election.� Any distribution of material concerning the 
proposed increase in the budget shall not be conducted by children enrolled in 
the school district. The report shall contain the following 
information:

1. The 
date of the election.

2. The 
voter's polling place and the times it is open.

3. The 
proposed total increase in the budget that exceeds the amount permitted 
pursuant to section 15‑905.

4. The 
total amount of the current year's budget, the total amount of the proposed 
budget and the total amount of the alternate budget.

5. If 
the override is for a period of more than one year, a statement indicating the 
number of years the proposed increase in the budget would be in effect and the 
percentage of the school district's revenue control limit that the district is 
requesting for the future years.

6. The 
proposed total amount of revenues that will fund the increase in the budget and 
the amount that will be obtained from a levy of taxes upon on the taxable property within the 
school district for the first year for which the budget increase was adopted.

7. The 
proposed amount of revenues that will fund the increase in the budget and that 
will be obtained from other than a levy of taxes upon on the taxable property within the 
school district for the first year for which the budget increase was adopted.

8. The 
dollar amount and the purpose for which the proposed increase in the budget is 
to be expended for the first year for which the budget increase was 
adopted. The purpose statement shall only present factual 
information in a neutral manner.� Advocacy for the expenditures is strictly 
limited to the arguments submitted pursuant to paragraph 9 of this subsection.

9. At 
least two arguments, if submitted, but no more than ten arguments for and two 
arguments, if submitted, but no more than ten arguments against the proposed 
increase in the budget. The arguments shall be in a form prescribed 
by the county school superintendent, and each argument shall not exceed two 
hundred words. Arguments for the proposed increase in the budget 
shall be provided in writing and signed by the gover