§1420.18. Special district in Jefferson Parish

A. Creation. The governing authority of the parish of Jefferson is hereby authorized pursuant to this Part and more specifically by this Section to create, by ordinance, a special taxing district and political subdivision of the state, referred to in this Section as the "district".

B. Boundaries. The district shall be comprised of the property bounded by Segnette Boulevard, Canal A, Outer Cataouatche Canal, Main Canal Extension, Avondale Canal, Highway 90, and the Westbank Expressway in Jefferson Parish.

C. Purpose. The district shall have as its purpose cooperative economic development between the parish of Jefferson, the Jefferson Parish Economic Development and Port District, referred to in this Section as "JEDCO", and the district, in order to further the purposes of JEDCO in the technology park located or to be located within the district known as the Churchill Technology and Business Park, including but not limited to promoting economic development in the Churchill Technology and Business Park.

D. Rights and powers. The district, acting by and through the Jefferson Parish Council, referred to in this Section as the "board", shall have and exercise all powers of a political subdivision and special taxing district necessary or convenient for the carrying out of its objects and purposes, including but not limited to the following:

(1) To sue and to be sued.

(2) To adopt bylaws and rules and regulations.

(3) To receive by gift, grant, donation, or otherwise any sum of money, property, aid, or assistance from the United States, the state of Louisiana, or any political subdivision thereof, or any person, firm, or corporation.

(4) For the public purposes of the district, to enter into contracts, agreements, or cooperative endeavors with the state and its political subdivisions or political corporations and with any public or private association, corporation, business entity, or individual.

(5) To appoint officers, agents, and employees, prescribe their duties, and fix their compensation.

(6) To acquire by gift, grant, purchase, lease, or otherwise such property as may be necessary or desirable for carrying out the objectives and purposes of the district and to mortgage or sell such property.

(7) In its own name and on its own behalf to incur debt and to issue bonds, notes, certificates, and other evidences of indebtedness. For this purpose the district shall be deemed and considered to be an issuer for purposes of R.S. 33:9037 and shall, to the extent not in conflict with this Section, be subject to the provisions of R.S. 33:9037.

(8) To establish such funds or accounts as are necessary for the conduct of the affairs of the district.

E.(1) In addition to any other authority provided for in this Section and pursuant to a cooperative endeavor agreement, the district may issue revenue bonds payable solely from an irrevocable pledge and dedication of up to the full amount of any sales tax increments designated by the board of the district to finance or refinance or to pay all of or a portion of the costs of projects located in the Churchill Technology and Business Park within the district which will further a public function of JEDCO, will result in economic development or the maintenance of existing jobs, or will achieve other economic goals that will benefit the parish of Jefferson. The district may also utilize any sales tax increments designated by the board of the district for any authorized purpose of the district.

(2)(a) A sales tax increment may consist of that portion of state sales tax revenues of the state of Louisiana and any political subdivision whose boundaries are coterminous with those of the state collected each year on the sale at retail, the use, the lease or rental, the consumption, and storage for use or consumption of tangible personal property and on sales of services, all as defined in R.S. 47:301 et seq., or any other appropriate provision or provisions of law, as amended, from taxpayers located within the district which exceeds the sales tax revenues that were collected by such taxing authorities in the year immediately prior to the year of establishment of the district.

(b) Prior to the dedication of any state sales tax increments to be used to pay for an authorized purpose of the district, the secretary of the Department of Economic Development shall submit the proposal to the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget for approval. In addition, any cooperative endeavor agreement or other agreement providing for the expenditure of funds collected by the state as state sales tax increments and dedicated to a project or for the payment of revenue bonds therefor shall be subject to approval by the State Bond Commission prior to execution by the state.

(c)(i) The board of the district shall designate the initial annual baseline collection rate for the district, which shall be the amount of the sales taxes collected in the district in the fiscal year most recently completed prior to the establishment of the district. In addition, a monthly baseline collection rate shall be determined by dividing the initial annual baseline collection rate by twelve.

(ii) The initial annual baseline collection rate and the monthly baseline collection rate shall be certified by the chief financial officer of Jefferson Parish. The certification shall also be published one time in the official journal of Jefferson Parish.

(iii) If the amounts of the initial annual baseline collection rate and the monthly baseline collection rate are not contested within thirty days after the said publication, then such amounts shall be conclusively presumed to be valid, and no court shall have any jurisdiction to alter or invalidate the designation of the amount of either the initial annual baseline collection rate or the monthly baseline collection rate.

(d) The increment of the sales taxes which are to be pledged and dedicated to the payment of the revenue bonds or otherwise used for district purposes as provided in this Section shall be the amount of the sales taxes which are collected in the sales tax area each year in excess of the initial annual baseline collection rate. Such pledged sales tax increment may include all or any portion of such excess as determined by the board of the district.

(3) Dedication of sales tax increments to pay the revenue bonds or other use of sales tax increments for district purposes as provided in this Section shall not impair existing obligations and shall not include tax revenues of a tax authority previously dedicated for a special purpose unless a majority of the electors within the territorial jurisdiction of such tax authority voting at an election held for such purpose approves the use of such tax for the purposes provided for in this Subsection.

F. Liberal construction. This Section, being for a public purpose and necessary for the welfare of the state, Jefferson Parish, and their residents, shall be liberally construed to effect the purposes thereof.

Acts 2007, No. 411, §1, eff. July 10, 2007.