2016 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 4 - Management of State Agencies
Chapter 50 - Office of Policy and Management: General Provisions; Budget and Appropriations; State Planning
Section 4-66l - Municipal revenue sharing account. Motor vehicle property tax grants. Municipal revenue sharing grants. Regional services grants.

(a) For the purposes of this section:

(1) “FY 15 mill rate” means the mill rate a municipality uses during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2015;

(2) “Mill rate” means the mill rate a municipality uses to calculate tax bills for motor vehicles;

(3) “Municipality” means any town, city, consolidated town and city or consolidated town and borough;

(4) “Municipal spending” means:

(5) “Per capita distribution” means:

(6) “Pro rata distribution” means:

(7) “Regional council of governments” means any such council organized under the provisions of sections 4-124i to 4-124p, inclusive;

(8) “Town population” means the number of persons in a municipality according to the most recent estimate of the Department of Public Health;

(9) “Total state population” means the number of persons in this state according to the most recent estimate published by the Department of Public Health;

(10) “Weighted mill rate” means a municipality’s FY 15 mill rate divided by the average of all municipalities’ FY 15 mill rate;

(11) “Weighted mill rate calculation” means per capita distribution multiplied by a municipality’s weighted mill rate;

(12) “Sales tax revenue” means the moneys in the account remaining for distribution pursuant to subdivision (7) of subsection (b) of this section;

(13) “District” means any district, as defined in section 7-324; and

(14) “Secretary” means the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management.

(b) There is established an account to be known as the “municipal revenue sharing account” which shall be a separate, nonlapsing account within the General Fund. The account shall contain any moneys required by law to be deposited in the account. The secretary shall set aside and ensure availability of moneys in the account in the following order of priority and shall transfer or disburse such moneys as follows:

(1) Ten million dollars for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2016, shall be transferred not later than April fifteenth for the purposes of grants under section 10-262h;

(2) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2017, and each fiscal year thereafter, moneys sufficient to make motor vehicle property tax grants payable to municipalities pursuant to subsection (c) of this section shall be expended not later than August first annually by the secretary;

(3) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2017, and each fiscal year thereafter, moneys sufficient to make the grants payable from the select payment in lieu of taxes grant account established pursuant to section 12-18c shall annually be transferred to the select payment in lieu of taxes account in the Office of Policy and Management;

(4) For the fiscal years ending June 30, 2017, June 30, 2018, and June 30, 2019, moneys sufficient to make the municipal revenue sharing grants payable to municipalities pursuant to subsection (d) of this section shall be expended not later than October thirty-first annually by the secretary;

(5) Ten million dollars for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2017, shall be transferred not later than April fifteenth for the purposes of grants under section 10-262h;

(6) (A) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2017, three million dollars shall be expended by the secretary for the purposes of the regional services grants pursuant to subsection (e) of this section to the regional councils of governments, and (B) for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018, and each fiscal year thereafter, seven million dollars shall be expended for the purposes of the regional services grants pursuant to subsection (e) of this section to the regional councils of governments; and

(7) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, and each fiscal year thereafter, moneys in the account remaining shall be expended annually by the secretary for the purposes of the municipal revenue sharing grants established pursuant to subsection (f) of this section. Any such moneys deposited in the account for municipal revenue sharing grants between October first and June thirtieth shall be distributed to municipalities on the following October first and any such moneys deposited in the account between July first and September thirtieth shall be distributed to municipalities on the following January thirty-first. Any town may apply to the Office of Policy and Management on or after July first for early disbursement of a portion of such grant. The Office of Policy and Management may approve such an application if it finds that early disbursement is required in order for a town to meet its cash flow needs. No early disbursement approved by said office may be issued later than September thirtieth.

(c) (1) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2017, motor vehicle property tax grants to municipalities that impose mill rates greater than 32 mills or that, when combined with the mill rate of any district located within the municipality, impose mill rates greater than 32 mills, shall be made in an amount equal to the difference between the amount of property taxes levied by the municipality and any district located within the municipality on motor vehicles for the assessment year commencing October 1, 2013, and the amount such levy would have been if the mill rate on motor vehicles for said assessment year was 32 mills; and (2) for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018, and each fiscal year thereafter, motor vehicle property tax grants to municipalities that impose mill rates greater than 29.36 mills or that, when combined with the mill rate of any district located within the municipality, impose mill rates greater than 29.36 mills, shall be made in an amount equal to the difference between the amount of property taxes levied by the municipality and any district located within the municipality on motor vehicles for the assessment year commencing October 1, 2013, and the amount such levy would have been if the mill rate on motor vehicles for said assessment year was 29.36 mills. Not later than fifteen calendar days after receiving a property tax grant pursuant to this section, the municipality shall disburse to any district located within the municipality the amount of any such property tax grant that is attributable to the district.

(d) For the fiscal years ending June 30, 2017, June 30, 2018, and June 30, 2019, each municipality shall receive a municipal revenue sharing grant. The total amount of the grant payable is as follows:

(e) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2017, and each fiscal year thereafter, each regional council of governments shall receive a regional services grant, the amount of which will be based on a formula to be determined by the secretary. No such council shall receive a grant for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018, or any fiscal year thereafter, unless the secretary approves a spending plan for such grant moneys submitted by such council to the secretary on or before July 1, 2017, and annually thereafter. The regional councils of governments shall use such grants for planning purposes and to achieve efficiencies in the delivery of municipal services by regionalizing such services, including, but not limited to, region-wide consolidation of such services. Such efficiencies shall not diminish the quality of such services. A unanimous vote of the representatives of such council shall be required for approval of any expenditure from such grant. On or before October 1, 2017, and biennially thereafter, each such council shall submit a report, in accordance with section 11-4a, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to planning and development and finance, revenue and bonding. Such report shall summarize expenditure of such grants and provide recommendations concerning the expansion, reduction or modification of such grants.

(f) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, and each fiscal year thereafter, each municipality shall receive a municipal revenue sharing grant as follows:

(1) (A) A municipality having a mill rate at or above twenty-five shall receive the per capita distribution or pro rata distribution, whichever is higher for such municipality.

(B) Such grants shall be increased by a percentage calculated as follows:

(C) Notwithstanding the provisions of subparagraphs (A) and (B) of this subdivision, Hartford shall receive not more than 5.2 per cent of the municipal revenue sharing grants distributed pursuant to this subsection; Bridgeport shall receive not more than 4.5 per cent of the municipal revenue sharing grants distributed pursuant to this subsection; New Haven shall receive not more than 2.0 per cent of the municipal revenue sharing grants distributed pursuant to this subsection and Stamford shall receive not more than 2.8 per cent of the equalization grants distributed pursuant to this subsection. Any excess funds remaining after such reductions in payments to Hartford, Bridgeport, New Haven and Stamford shall be distributed to all other municipalities having a mill rate at or above twenty-five on a pro rata basis according to the payment they receive pursuant to this subdivision; and

(2) A municipality having a mill rate below twenty-five shall receive the per capita distribution or pro rata distribution, whichever is less for such municipality.

(g) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, a municipality may disburse any municipal revenue sharing grant funds to a district within such municipality.

(h) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018, and each fiscal year thereafter, the amount of the grant payable to a municipality in any year in accordance with subsection (d) or (f) of this section shall be reduced if such municipality increases its general budget expenditures for such fiscal year above a cap equal to the amount of general budget expenditures authorized for the previous fiscal year by 2.5 per cent or more or the rate of inflation, whichever is greater. Such reduction shall be in an amount equal to fifty cents for every dollar expended over the cap set forth in this subsection. For the purposes of this section, “municipal spending” does not include expenditures for debt service, special education, implementation of court orders or arbitration awards, expenditures associated with a major disaster or emergency declaration by the President of the United States or a disaster emergency declaration issued by the Governor pursuant to chapter 517 or any disbursement made to a district pursuant to subsection (c) or (g) of this section. Each municipality shall annually certify to the secretary, on a form prescribed by said secretary, whether such municipality has exceeded the cap set forth in this subsection and if so the amount by which the cap was exceeded.

(i) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, and each fiscal year thereafter, the amount of the grant payable to a municipality in any year in accordance with subsection (f) of this section shall be reduced proportionately in the event that the total of such grants in such year exceeds the amount available for such grants in the municipal revenue sharing account established pursuant to subsection (b) of this section.

(P.A. 11-6, S. 96; 11-61, S. 44; 11-239, S. 17; P.A. 12-104, S. 10; P.A. 15-244, S. 207; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5, S. 110, 111, 494; Dec. Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-1, S. 31.)

History: P.A. 11-6 effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-61 designated existing Subsec. (b) as Subsec. (b)(1) and amended same by removing reference to Sec. 32-9s and replacing general provision re grants with list of grant amounts to each municipality, added Subsec. (b)(2) re reduction of grant amounts, added Subsec. (b)(3) re treatment of overpayments and amended Subsec. (c) to specify sources of numbers to be used in the formula under Sec. 3-55j(e), effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-239 amended Subsec. (b)(3) to change reference to Sec. 12-94b to the revision of 1958, revised to January 1, 2011, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 12-104 amended Subsec. (b) to change grant payment to Franklin from $413,545 to $18,317 and grand total from $50,271,099 to $49,875,871 in Subdiv. (1) and to add Subdiv. (4) re additional payments to Ledyard and Montville, effective June 8, 2012; P.A. 15-244 added new Subsec. (a) re definitions, redesignated existing Subsec. (a) as new Subsec. (b) and amended same by establishing order for disbursement of account moneys, deleted former Subsec. (b) re manufacturing transition grants, deleted former Subsec. (c) re distribution of moneys remaining in account, added new Subsec. (c) re motor vehicle property tax grants, added Subsec. (d) re municipal revenue sharing grants for fiscal year ending June 30, 2017, added Subsec. (e) re regional services grants, added Subsec. (f) re municipal revenue sharing grants for fiscal year ending June 30, 2018, and each fiscal year thereafter, added Subsec. (g) re disbursement of municipal revenue sharing grants to districts, added Subsec. (h) re reduction of municipal revenue sharing grants when municipality exceeds spending cap and added Subsec. (i) re proportionate reduction of municipal revenue sharing grants when grant total exceeds amount available in account; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5 amended Subsec. (a) by adding Subdiv. (13) defining “district”, amended Subsec. (b) by making provisions applicable to fiscal year ending June 30, 2018, in Subdiv. (4), by deleting provisions re distribution of moneys for regional services grants on a per capita basis in Subdiv. (5) and by making provisions applicable to fiscal year ending June 30, 2019, and each fiscal year thereafter in Subdiv. (6), amended Subsec. (c) by making provisions applicable to combined mill rate of municipality and any district located within the municipality and requiring municipality to disburse district’s share not later than 15 calendar days after receiving property tax grant, amended Subsec. (d) by making provisions applicable to fiscal year ending June 30, 2018, and replacing list of grant amounts, amended Subsec. (e) by adding provision re grants to regional councils of governments to be calculated by formula determined by secretary, amended Subsec. (f) by making provisions applicable to fiscal year ending June 30, 2019, amended Subsec. (h) by redefining “municipal spending”, and made conforming and technical changes throughout; Dec. Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-1 amended Subsec. (a) by adding Subdiv. (14) defining “secretary”, amended Subsec. (b) by adding provision re secretary to set aside and ensure availability of moneys in the account in order of priority, deleting provision re amount for fiscal year ending June 30, 2017, and adding provision re transfer not later than April 15th in Subdiv. (1), deleting former Subdiv. (2) re transfers for fiscal year ending June 30, 2017, and each fiscal year thereafter, redesignating existing Subdiv. (3) as Subdiv. (2) and amending same by adding “payable” and “not later than August first”, adding new Subdiv. (3) re transfers for fiscal year ending June 30, 2017, and each fiscal year thereafter, adding reference to June 30, 2019, and provision re expenditure not later than October 31st annually in Subdiv. (4), adding new Subdiv. (5) re transfer of $10,000,000 for fiscal year ending June 30, 2017, redesignating existing Subdiv. (5) as Subdiv. (6), and redesignating existing Subdiv. (6) as Subdiv. (7) and amending same by changing “2019” to “2020”, amended Subsec. (d) by adding reference to June 30, 2019, amended Subsec. (f) by changing “2019” to “2020”, amended Subsec. (h) by adding reference to Subsec. (d), amended Subsec. (i) by adding “For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, and each fiscal year thereafter,” and deleting reference to Subsec. (d), and made conforming and technical changes, effective December 29, 2015.