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15-1461. District budget; annual estimate; computation; notice; hearing; adoption

A. Not later than June 5, each district established pursuant to this chapter, and any other community college established prior to the enactment of this chapter, shall prepare a proposed budget for the budget year on a form which the auditor general prescribes to be transmitted to the district board. The proposed budget shall be accompanied by an estimate of the amount of funds needed for the ensuing year as determined by the district based on the proposed budget prepared by it.

B. The district shall establish and set forth in the proposed budget the per capita expenditure per full-time equivalent student, which shall be the total operational expenses.

C. The district shall establish and set forth in the proposed budget the per capita expenditure per full-time equivalent student, which shall be the total capital outlay expenses.

D. The number of basic full-time equivalent students shall be computed by dividing the total community college credit units by fifteen per semester and shall be based on regular day enrollment. The number of additional short-term full-time equivalent students shall be computed by dividing the total community college credit units from additional short-term classes by thirty. The number of skill center full-time equivalent students shall be computed by dividing the total number of clock hours in approved vocational training programs by six hundred forty.

E. The governing board of each district shall prepare a notice fixing a time not later than June 20 and designating a public place within each district at which a public hearing and special board meeting shall be held. The governing board of each district shall publish a notice of the public hearing and special board meeting not later than fifteen days before the meeting. The governing board shall publish the proposed budget on its website and present the proposed budget for consideration of the residents and the taxpayers of the district at such meeting.

F. The proposed budget shall contain but need not be limited to the following information:

1. The estimated cost of all operational, capital outlay and debt service expenses.

2. The percentage of increase or decrease in each budget category as compared to each category of the budget for the current year.

3. The total amount of revenues by source that was necessary to meet the district's budget for the current year.

4. The total amount of revenues by source that will be necessary to meet the proposed district budget.

5. The total property tax levy of the district for the current year.

6. The levy for primary property taxes and the levy for secondary property taxes for the current year.

7. The primary property tax rate and secondary property tax rate for the current year.

8. The estimated amount of total property tax levies for the district and the primary property tax and secondary property tax components thereof necessary for the budget year.

9. The maximum amount of primary property tax dollars which the district is permitted to levy pursuant to title 42, chapter 17, article 2 for the budget year.

10. The amount of secondary property tax dollars which the district will levy for the budget year.

11. The amount of monies received from primary property taxation in the previous fiscal year in excess of the maximum allowable amount as calculated pursuant to title 42, chapter 17, article 2.

G. The governing board shall publish the proposed budget and the notice of the public hearing and special board meeting a second time not later than five days prior to the meeting. Publication shall be made in a newspaper of general circulation within the district. The cost of publication shall be a charge against the district. If a truth in taxation notice and hearing is required under section 15-1461.01, the district may combine the notice and hearing under this section with the truth in taxation notice and hearing.

H. If the district fails to publish the proposed budget, notice and statements required by subsection F of this section, the board of supervisors shall levy on the property in the district the lesser of the amount of primary property taxes which were levied for the district in the current year or the amount which would be produced by the primary property tax rate which was levied for the district in the current year.

I. At the time and place fixed in the notice, the members of the governing board shall hold the public hearing and present the proposed budget to the persons attending the hearing. Upon request of any person, the governing board shall explain the budget and any resident or taxpayer of the district may protest the inclusion of any item in the proposed budget.

J. Immediately following the public hearing the chairman shall call to order the special board meeting for the purpose of adopting the budget. The governing board shall adopt the budget making deductions from the budget as it sees fit but making no additions to the budget and shall enter the budget as adopted in its minutes. The governing board shall not adopt the budget if the property tax requirements of the budget, excluding amounts budgeted and levied for secondary property taxes, exceed the amounts authorized pursuant to title 42, chapter 17, article 2.