27-37-301 - Payments by Authority in lieu of taxes; apportionment. - Mississippi Statutes

§ 27-37-301. Payments by Authority in lieu of taxes; apportionment.
 

(1)  Except as otherwise provided in subsection (4) of this section, the payments received and to be received by the State of Mississippi and counties therein from the Tennessee Valley Authority in lieu of taxes under Section 13 of the Tennessee Valley Authority Act of 1933, as amended, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1957, and each fiscal year thereafter shall be shared and apportioned among the State of Mississippi and the counties and municipalities of Mississippi in which the Tennessee Valley Authority owns or operates power property on the following basis: 

(a) From payments made for each such fiscal year by the Authority directly to the State of Mississippi, the state shall retain for the benefit of its General Fund an amount equal either to twelve and two-tenths percent (12-2/10%) of the total combined payments for such fiscal year by the Authority to the state and to counties therein, or to the former annual ad valorem property taxes levied by the state on power property (including reservoir land allocated to power purposes) purchased and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority based upon the average of two (2) years of such taxes next prior to purchase as determined by the Tennessee Valley Authority under the provisions of Section 13 of the Tennessee Valley Authority Act, as amended, whichever is greater. 

(b) After transfer to the State General Fund of the amount specified in subsection (a) hereof, the remainder of the payments made for each such fiscal year by the Authority directly to the State of Mississippi shall be distributed among counties and municipalities in which the Authority had power property (including reservoir land allocated to power purposes) at the end of the preceding fiscal year in such manner that the sum of such remainder plus the total of payments for the same fiscal year by the Authority directly to counties of the state shall be apportioned among said counties and municipalities by the same ratio that the book value of the Authority's power property in each county and in each municipality, respectively, bore as of the end of such preceding fiscal year to the total of the book value of the Authority's power properties in all counties within the state (including properties in municipalities within such counties) plus the book value of the Authority's power properties located in all municipalities within the state. The apportionment above provided for, however, shall be subject to the following qualifications, and the payment distribution thereunder shall be subject to such adjustment as may be necessary to meet the conditions set out in the paragraphs below: 

(i) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this article all payments in lieu of taxes by the Tennessee Valley Authority directly to any county for any fiscal year shall be retained by such county. Such direct payments shall be deducted from the amount finally apportioned to such county under this subsection (b) before distribution of the balance, if any, of such county's payment share for the particular fiscal year from the state government. 

(ii) With respect to any particular fiscal year, no municipality of the state shall receive less than the former annual ad valorem property taxes levied by such municipality on power property purchased and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, based upon the average of two (2) years of such taxes next prior to purchase as determined by the Tennessee Valley Authority under the provisions of Section 13 of the Tennessee Valley Authority Act, as amended. 

(iii) If the initially apportioned payment share of any county or municipality is less than the minimum tax replacement amount to which such county or municipality may be entitled under paragraphs (i) and (ii) above, then the amount due to such county or municipality shall be increased to conform with such requirements, and the previously apportioned shares of all other counties and municipalities shall be reduced pro rata so that the total of such reductions shall equal the total of increases necessary to meet the minimum payment requirements of this paragraph. 

(2)  From and after May 25, 1976, the funds from the Authority authorized for deposit in the General Fund, as provided by subsection (1)(a) of this section, shall be deposited directly into the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Bridge Bond Retirement Fund created by Section 65-26-9. Except as otherwise provided in subsection (4) of this section, when an amount equal to twenty-five percent (25%) of the total costs as to the principal of and the interest on the bonds issued under the authority of subsection (1) of Section 65-26-15 shall have been paid, such funds shall again be deposited into the State General Fund and the provisions of subsection (3)(a) of Section 65-26-19 which pledged such funds from the Authority for payment of the bonds shall stand repealed. 

(3)  From and after May 25, 1976, any increase in funds from the Authority, authorized for distribution to the Counties of Alcorn, Chickasaw, Clay, Itawamba, Kemper, Lee, Lowndes, Monroe, Noxubee, Pontotoc, Prentiss and Tishomingo by Chapter 26 of Title 65 over the amount received in 1975, shall be deposited directly into the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Bridge Bond Retirement Fund created by Section 65-26-9 until terminated by the provisions of Chapter 26 of Title 65. 

(4) (a)  When the principal of, redemption premium, if any, and interest on the general obligation bonds issued under Section 65-26-15 have been paid in full, the payments to be received thereafter by the State of Mississippi and counties therein from the Tennessee Valley Authority in lieu of taxes under Section 13 of the Tennessee Valley Authority Act of 1933, as amended, for each fiscal year shall be apportioned and paid as follows: 

(i) Ten percent (10%) of such payments shall be paid into the State General Fund. 

(ii) Twelve and one-half percent (12-1/2%) of such payments shall be paid to Tishomingo County. 

(iii) Seventy-seven and one-half percent (77-1/2%) of such payments shall be paid to the counties and municipalities in the state within the service area of the Tennessee Valley Authority in the proportion that the amount of sales of power service to retail consumers by the Tennessee Valley Authority, or any facility distributing such power, for the next preceding fiscal year in each county, excluding municipalities therein, and in each municipality, bears to the total sales of such power service for said fiscal year to retail consumers statewide. 

(iv) Notwithstanding any provision of this subsection (4) to the contrary, from the amount determined to be distributed to each county, including municipalities therein, under this subsection, the State Tax Commission shall withhold twenty-five percent (25%) of such allocation and distribute same to all school districts within the county in the proportion that the number of teacher units allotted to each school district within the county bears to the total teacher units allotted to all school districts within the county. 

(v) Notwithstanding any provision of this subsection (4) to the contrary, the amount which would otherwise be allocated to the Town of Burnsville by the distribution in fiscal year 1987 and each fiscal year thereafter shall be increased to the amount it actually received from the distribution in fiscal year 1985 by payment out of the amount which would otherwise be distributed to the County of Tishomingo. 

(b) (i) For the first fiscal year only in which distribution of Tennessee Valley Authority in lieu tax payments is made pursuant to this subsection (4), One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00) shall be paid into the appropriate fund for expenditure by the Yellow Creek State Inland Port Authority, subject to the approval of the Mississippi Board of Economic Development, for capital improvements and economic development. 

(ii) An additional distribution of Tennessee Valley Authority in lieu tax payments pursuant to this subsection (4) shall be made to Union County and Benton County for the following fiscal years in the manner hereinafter provided: 

A. For fiscal year 1987, a payment equal to eighty percent (80%) of the difference between the amount paid to the county and municipalities therein on or about October 17, 1986, and the amount which the county and municipalities therein would otherwise be entitled to receive based on a pro rata calculation of sales of power service to retail consumers within the county, including municipalities therein. 

From the amount determined to be allocated to each municipality under subsection (4)(a)(iii) within the two (2) respective counties, sixty percent (60%) thereof shall be paid to the county. 

B. For fiscal year 1988, a payment equal to sixty percent (60%) of the difference between the amount paid to the county and municipalities therein on or about October 17, 1986, and the amount which the county and municipalities therein would otherwise be entitled to receive based on a pro rata calculation of sales of power service to retail consumers within the county, including municipalities therein. 

From the amount determined to be allocated to each municipality under subsection (4)(a)(iii) within the two (2) respective counties, forty percent (40%) thereof shall be paid to the county. 

C. For fiscal year 1989, a payment equal to forty percent (40%) of the difference between the amount paid to the county and municipalities therein on or about October 17, 1986, and the amount which the county and municipalities therein would otherwise be entitled to receive based on a pro rata calculation of sales of power service to retail consumers within the county, including municipalities therein. 

From the amount determined to be allocated to each municipality under subsection (4)(a)(iii) within the two (2) respective counties, twenty percent (20%) thereof shall be paid to the county. 

(iii) Monies remaining after the allocations in items (i) and (ii) of this paragraph (b) have been made shall then be distributed as provided in subsection (4)(a)(i), (ii) and (iii) above, without affecting the initial calculation of the apportionment to Union County and Benton County, including any municipalities therein. 

(5)  Distributions required by this section shall be made as soon as practicable following receipt by the state of Tennessee Valley Authority payments in lieu of taxes; however, distributions need not be made more frequently than monthly. The amounts held by the State Fiscal Management Board on April 20, 1987, shall be distributed as soon as practicable following April 20, 1987. 
 

Sources: Codes, 1942, § 9870; Laws,  1958, ch. 581, § 1; Laws, 1976, ch. 492, § 20; Laws, 1980, ch. 442, § 10; Laws, 1986, ch. 506, § 1; Laws, 1987, ch. 518, § 1; Laws, 1994, ch. 418, § 2, eff from and after July 1, 1994.