H*5004(Rat #0281, Act #0434 of 2002)  General Bill, By Coates and McGee
 A BILL TO AMEND A JOINT RESOLUTION OF 2002, BEARING RATIFICATION NUMBER 221,
 RELATING TO A REFERENDUM ON SCHOOL FINANCE TO BE HELD IN FLORENCE COUNTY
 SCHOOL DISTRICT ONE, SO AS TO CHANGE THE DATE OF THE REFERENDUM TO A PERIOD NO
 EARLIER THAN THE THIRD TUESDAY FOLLOWING RECEIPT OF OFFICIAL NOTICE OF
 PRECLEARANCE UNDER THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT AND NO LATER THAN JANUARY 1, 2003, TO
 PROVIDE SPECIAL NOTICE REQUIREMENTS, TO SPECIFY THE REFERENDUM QUESTION, TO
 MAKE OTHER GRAMMATICAL CHANGES, AND TO REVISE THE DATE FOR THE BOARD OF
 TRUSTEES OF THE DISTRICT TO SUBMIT ITS ANNUAL BUDGET TO THE COUNTY
 AUDITOR.-amended title

   04/03/02  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-20
   04/03/02  House  Referred to Florence Delegation HJ-20
   04/04/02  House  Delegation report: Favorable Florence Delegation HJ-40
   04/09/02  House  Amended HJ-17
   04/09/02  House  Read second time HJ-17
   04/10/02  House  Read third time and sent to Senate HJ-27
   04/16/02  Senate Intd. & placed on local & uncontested cal. w/o
                     reference SJ-16
   04/18/02  Senate Read second time SJ-25
   04/18/02  Senate Unanimous consent for third reading on next
                     legislative day SJ-25
   04/19/02  Senate Read third time and enrolled SJ-1
   04/25/02         Ratified R 281
   05/02/02         Became law without Governor's signature
   06/19/02         Effective date 05/02/02
   06/19/02         Copies available
   10/11/02         Act No. 434

AN ACT TO AMEND A JOINT RESOLUTION OF 2002, BEARING RATIFICATION NUMBER 221, RELATING TO A REFERENDUM ON SCHOOL FINANCE TO BE HELD IN FLORENCE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT ONE, SO AS TO CHANGE THE DATE OF THE REFERENDUM TO A PERIOD NO EARLIER THAN THE THIRD TUESDAY FOLLOWING RECEIPT OF OFFICIAL NOTICE OF PRECLEARANCE UNDER THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT AND NO LATER THAN JANUARY 1, 2003, TO PROVIDE SPECIAL NOTICE REQUIREMENTS, TO SPECIFY THE REFERENDUM QUESTION, TO MAKE OTHER GRAMMATICAL CHANGES, AND TO REVISE THE DATE FOR THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE DISTRICT TO SUBMIT ITS ANNUAL BUDGET TO THE COUNTY AUDITOR.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

Referendum date, question

SECTION 1. Items (1) and (2) of Section 1(A) of a joint resolution of 2002, bearing ratification number 221 are amended to read:

"(1) A referendum must be held no earlier than the third Tuesday following receipt by the district of official notice of Voting Rights Act preclearance of this act or no later than January 1, 2003, to determine if the Florence County School District One Board of Trustees annually may raise the millage for school operations by five mills over the millage levied for the previous year, not to exceed an increase of twenty mills over any five-year period, with these increases, annually and over any five-year period, being in addition to any increase in millage required to comply with the Education Improvement Act local maintenance of effort. The question must read as follows:

'Do you favor granting the Board of Trustees of Florence County School District One the authority to raise the property tax millage for school operations by five mills over the millage levied for the previous year, not to exceed an increase of twenty mills over any five-year period, with these increases, both annually and over any five-year period, being in addition to any millage increase necessary to comply with the Education Improvement Act local maintenance of effort requirement?

(2) The county commissioners of election shall conduct and supervise the referendum in the manner governed by the election laws of this State, mutatis mutandis. In lieu of any other notice requirement, the commissioners of election shall provide notice of the referendum in a newspaper of general circulation in the school district two weeks before the date of the referendum. The cost of the referendum must be paid by the school district."

Date to submit budget

SECTION 2. Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 6 of Act 239 of 1981, the Board of Trustees for Florence County School District One must file with the county auditor a budget for the operation of the district on or before the fifteenth day of June of each year.

Time effective

SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Ratified the 25th day of April, 2002.

Became law without the signature of the Governor -- 5/2/02.