159-107. Determination of incremental valuation; use of taxes levied on incremental valuation; duration of the district.

(a) Base Valuation in the Development Financing District. - After the Local Government Commission has entered its order approving a unit of local government's application for project development financing debt instruments, the unit shall immediately notify the tax assessor of the county in which the development financing district is located of the existence of the development financing district. Upon receiving this notice, the tax assessor shall determine the base valuation of the district, which is the assessed value of all taxable property located in the district on the January 1 immediately preceding the effective date of the district. If the unit or an agency of the unit acquired property within the district within one year before the effective date of the district, the tax assessor shall presume, subject to rebuttal, that the property was acquired in contemplation of the district, and the tax assessor shall include the value of the property so acquired in determining the base valuation of the district. The unit may rebut this presumption by showing that the property was acquired primarily for a purpose other than to reduce the incremental tax base. After determining the base valuation of the development financing district, the tax assessor shall certify the valuation to: (i) the issuing unit; (ii) the county in which the district is located if the issuing unit is not the county; and (iii) any special district, as defined in G.S. 159-7, within which the development financing district is located.

(b) Adjustments to the Base Valuation. - During the lifetime of the development financing district, the base valuation shall be adjusted as follows:

(1) If the unit amends its development financing plan, pursuant to G.S. 160A-515.1 or G.S. 158-7.3, to remove property from the development financing district, on the succeeding January 1, that property shall be removed from the district and the base valuation reduced accordingly.

(2) If the unit amends its development financing plan, pursuant to G.S. 160A-515.1 or G.S. 158-7.3, to expand the district, the new property shall be added to the district immediately. The base valuation of the district shall be increased by the assessed value of the taxable property situated in the added territory on the January 1 immediately preceding the effective date of the district.

(3) Repealed by Session Laws 2007-395, s. 2, effective August 20, 2007.

Each time the base valuation is adjusted, the tax assessor shall immediately certify the new base valuation to: (i) the issuing unit; (ii) the county if the issuing unit is not the county; and (iii) any special district, as defined in G.S. 159-7, within which the development financing district is located.

(c) Revenue Increment Fund. - When a unit of local government has established a development financing district, and the project development financing debt instruments for that district have been approved by the Commission, the unit shall establish a separate fund to account for the proceeds paid to the unit from taxes levied on the incremental valuation of the district. The unit shall also place in this fund any moneys received pursuant to an agreement entered into under G.S. 159-108.

(d) Levy of Property Taxes Within the District. - Each year the development financing district is in existence, the tax assessor shall determine the current assessed value of taxable property located in the district. The assessor shall also compute the difference between this current value and the base valuation of the district. If the current value exceeds the base value, the difference is the incremental valuation of the district. In each year the district is in existence, the county, and if the district is within a city or a special district as defined by G.S. 159-7, the city or the special district shall levy taxes against property in the district in the same manner as taxes are levied against other property in the county, city, or special district. The proceeds from ad valorem taxes levied on property in the development financing district shall be distributed as follows:

(1) In any year in which there is no incremental valuation of the district, all the proceeds of the taxes shall be retained by the county, city, or special district, as if there were no development financing district in existence.

(2) In any year in which there is an incremental valuation of the district, the amount of tax due from each taxpayer on property in the district shall be distributed as provided in this subdivision. The net proceeds of the following taxes shall be paid to the government levying the tax: (i) taxes separately stated and levied solely to service and repay debt secured by a pledge of the faith and credit of the unit; (ii) nonschool taxes levied pursuant to a vote of the people; (iii) taxes levied for a municipal or county service district; and (iv) taxes levied by a taxing unit in a development financing district established by a different taxing unit and for which there is no increment agreement between the two units. All remaining taxes on property in the district shall be multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the base valuation for the district and the denominator of which is the current valuation for the district. The amount shown as the product of this multiplication shall, when paid by the taxpayer, be retained by the county, city, or special district, as if there were no development financing district in existence. The net proceeds of the remaining amount shall, when paid by the taxpayer, be turned over to the finance officer of each issuing unit, who shall place this amount in the special revenue increment fund required by subsection (c) of this section. As used in this section, "net proceeds" means gross proceeds less refunds, releases, and any collection fee paid by the levying government to the collecting government.

(e) Effect of Annexation on District Established by a County. - If a city annexes land in a development financing district established by a county pursuant to G.S. 158-7.3, the proceeds of all taxes levied by the city on property within the district shall be paid to the city unless the city enters into an agreement with the county pursuant to this subsection, and the annexed land in the county's district that subsequently becomes a part of the city does not count against the city's five-percent (5%) limit under G.S. 158-7.3 or G.S. 160A-515.1 unless the city and the county enter into an agreement pursuant to this section. The city and the county may enter into an increment agreement under which the city agrees that city taxes on part or all of the incremental valuation in the district shall be paid into the revenue increment fund for the district. An increment agreement may be entered into when the district is established or at any time after the district is established. The increment agreement may extend for the duration of the district or for a shorter time agreed to by the parties.

(f) Use of Moneys in the Revenue Increment Fund. - If the development financing district includes property conveyed or leased by the unit of local government to a private party in consideration of increased tax revenue expected to be generated by improvements constructed on the property pursuant to G.S. 158-7.1, an amount equal to the tax revenue taken into account in arriving at the consideration, less the increased tax revenue realized since the construction of the improvement, shall be transferred from the Revenue Increment Fund to the county, city, or special district as if there were no development financing district in existence. Any money in excess of this amount in the Fund may be used for any of the following purposes, without priority other than priorities imposed by the order authorizing the project development financing debt instruments:

(1) To finance capital expenditures (including the funding of capital reserves) by the issuing unit in the development financing district pursuant to the development financing plan.

(2) To meet principal and interest requirements on project development financing debt instruments and debt instrument anticipation notes issued for the district.

(3) To repay the appropriate fund of the issuing unit for any moneys actually expended on debt service on project development financing debt instruments pursuant to a pledge made pursuant to G.S. 159-111(b).

(4) To establish and maintain debt service reserves for future principal and interest requirements on project development financing debt instruments and debt instrument anticipation notes issued for the district.

(5) To meet any other requirements imposed by the order authorizing the project development financing debt instruments.

If in any year there is any money remaining in the Revenue Increment Fund after these purposes have been satisfied, it shall be paid to the general fund of the county and, if applicable, of the city and any special district as defined by G.S. 159-7, in proportion to their rates of ad valorem tax on taxable property located in the development financing district.

(g) Duration of District. - A development financing district shall terminate at the earlier of (i) the end of the thirtieth year after the effective date of the district or (ii) the date all project development financing debt instruments issued for the district have been fully retired or sufficient funds have been set aside, pursuant to the order authorizing the debt instruments, to meet all future principal and interest requirements on the instruments.