Whereas, this legislation needs to take effect before the expiration of the 90-day period in order to ensure the ability of municipalities to provide assistance to their citizens; and

Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, therefore,

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

Sec. 1. 30-A MRSA §5721-A, sub-§1, ¶D, as affected by PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. C, §5 and amended by c. 12, Pt. WW, §11 and affected by §§15 and 16, is further amended to read:

D. "Property tax levy" means the total annual municipal appropriations, excluding amounts appropriated to support a general assistance program pursuant to Title 22, chapter 1161, assessments properly issued by a county of which the municipality is a member and amounts governed by and appropriated in accordance with Title 20-A, chapter 606-B, and amounts appropriated to pay assessments properly issued by a school administrative unit or tuition for students or amounts attributable to a tax increment financing district agreement or similar special tax district, reduced by all resources available to fund those appropriations other than the property tax.

Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this Act takes effect when approved.

SUMMARY

This bill exempts from the municipal property tax cap amounts appropriated by a municipality to support a general assistance program.