Nebraska Revised Statutes Chapter 77. Revenue and Taxation § 77-5536. Application; approval; procedure
Current as of January 01, 2019 | Updated by FindLaw Staff
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(1) The board shall determine whether to approve the company's application by majority vote based on its determination as to whether the project will sufficiently help enable the state to accomplish the purposes of the Invest Nebraska Act. The board shall be governed by and shall take into consideration all of the following factors in making its determination:
(a) The timing, number, wage levels, employee benefit package, and types of new jobs to be created by the project;
(b) The type of industry in which the company and the project would be engaged;
(c) The timing, amount, and types of investment in qualified property to be made at the project; and
(d) Whether the board believes the project would occur in this state regardless of whether the application was approved.
(2) The weight given to each factor shall be determined by each board member individually for each application. The decision of the board shall be made in open meeting and is not confidential.
(3) A project shall be considered eligible under the act and may be approved by the board only if the application defines a project consistent with the purposes contained in section 77-5502 in one or more qualified business activities within this state that will result in (a) the investment in qualified property of at least ten million dollars and the hiring of a number of new employees of at least twenty-five. The investment and new employees for such project shall count towards attaining and maintaining such thresholds only if the qualified property is located in, and the employee's principal place of employment for the company is located in, one or more Nebraska counties having a population of less than one hundred thousand individuals as of the end of the base year. For this purpose, the population shall be conclusively determined by the Department of Revenue, (b) the investment in qualified property of at least fifty million dollars and the hiring of a number of new employees of at least five hundred, (c) the investment in qualified property of at least one hundred million dollars and the hiring of a number of new employees of at least two hundred fifty, or (d) the investment in qualified property of at least two hundred million dollars and the hiring of a number of new employees of at least five hundred.
(4) The new investment and employment shall occur within seven years, meaning by the end of the sixth year after the end of the year the application was filed, and shall be maintained for the entire entitlement period. These thresholds shall constitute the required levels of employment and investment for purposes of the act.
(5)(a) An individual employed by the company, other than a base-year employee, shall be considered an employee for purposes of attaining and maintaining the required number of new employees and shall be considered an employee whose compensation is included in the calculation of the wage benefit credit only if the compensation paid by the company to such employee for the year is (i) for companies qualifying under the ten million dollar investment and twenty-five new employee threshold under subdivision (3)(a) of this section, at least one hundred percent of the Nebraska average annual wage, (ii) for companies qualifying under the fifty million dollar investment and five hundred new employee threshold under subdivision (3)(b) of this section or the one hundred million dollar investment and two hundred fifty new employee threshold under subdivision (3)(c) of this section, at least one hundred ten percent of the Nebraska average annual wage; and (iii) for the companies applying under the two hundred million dollar investment and five hundred new employee threshold of subdivision (3)(d) of this section, at least one hundred twenty percent of the Nebraska average annual wage.
(b) For the purposes of subdivision (a) of this subsection, compensation paid by the company to such employee for the year shall be the amount paid for the entire year for regular hours worked, not including overtime, bonuses, or any other irregular payments. If the employee works for less than a year, the compensation paid will be annualized solely for the purpose of comparison with the Nebraska average annual wage.
(6) If the project application is approved by the board, the company and the state shall enter into a written agreement, which shall be executed on behalf of the state by the Tax Commissioner. In the agreement the company shall agree to complete the project and the state shall designate the approved plans of the company as a project and, in consideration of the company's agreement, agree to allow the wage benefit credit or the investment tax credit, as applicable, as provided for in the act. The application, and all supporting documentation, to the extent approved, shall be deemed a part of the agreement. The agreement shall contain such terms and conditions as the board shall specify in order to carry out the legislative purposes of the act. The agreement shall contain provisions to allow the Department of Revenue to verify that the required levels of employment and investment have been attained and maintained. The agreement shall contain provisions to require verification that the required levels have been attained before any credits are used. The agreement shall contain such other conditions or requirements, if any, for the company as established by the department to carry out the purposes of the act.
(7) Any investment or employment which is eligible for benefits under the Quality Jobs Act shall not be included in a project under the Invest Nebraska Act. A project under the Invest Nebraska Act may involve the same location as another project under the Invest Nebraska Act or under the Quality Jobs Act, except that no new employment or new investment shall be included in more than one project for either the meeting of the employment or investment requirements or the creation of tax incentives. When projects overlap and the project application does not otherwise clearly specify, the company shall specify in which project the employment and investment belongs.
(8) For applications for projects that are not receiving benefits under the Ethanol Development Act or applications filed before April 16, 2004, any employment or investment which is eligible for benefits under the Invest Nebraska Act may also be included in, and create incentives for, a project under the Employment and Investment Growth Act, the Nebraska Advantage Rural Development Act, and the Rural Economic Opportunities Act, to the extent otherwise allowable under such respective acts. For applications filed on or after April 16, 2004, a taxpayer that is receiving benefits under the Ethanol Development Act may not receive benefits under the Invest Nebraska Act for the project that generates the incentive under the Ethanol Development Act.
(9) In order to provide the degree of certainty necessary to enable a project to proceed, and notwithstanding any provision of Nebraska statute or common law to the contrary, to the extent any such right of appeal or challenge otherwise exists, no appeal or challenge of the board's decision by any person shall be filed after the expiration of thirty days after the board's decision.
(a) The powers delegated and authorized in this chapter for the board of regents for elementary and secondary education and the department of elementary and secondary education shall be in addition to those previously authorized by any other general or public law.
(b) The governance, funding, and programming of the William M. Davies, Jr. vocational technical school and the Metropolitan Career and Technical School shall be in accordance with the rules and regulations formulated by the board of regents for elementary and secondary education pursuant to chapter 35 of title 42. Provided, however, the additional appropriation by the General Assembly in fiscal year 2005 for the William M. Davies, Jr. Vocational Technical School shall be used to fund sixty (60) additional placements. Forty (40) of those placements shall be made available to students from the City of Providence.
(c) The purpose of this chapter is to restructure the system of career and technical schools in Rhode Island for the benefit of the students, the economy, and the general welfare. The paramount aim is to enable the schools to make more significant contributions in providing the state's students with the career preparation they need to compete and succeed in the world of today and of the future. To ensure student success, a system of model career and technical schools will be established and supported. These schools will provide: integrated academic and vocational curricula, up to date technology, programs to meet the varying needs of all students, and strong links to business, industry, postsecondary education, and the community.
(d)(1) There shall be a system of state operated career and technical schools serving geographic areas of the state. Students attending these regional schools will do so on a full time basis with the costs for their education at the regional school being shared by the state and the district of residence as described in § 16-7.2-5. State schools currently participating in the state retirement system that are not receiving reimbursement pursuant to § 16-16-22 shall have their state aid adjusted to reflect full reimbursement for expenses related to employer retirement contributions for those staff employed by the state.
(2) These schools shall be operated as local education agencies and each shall be governed by a board of trustees. With the exception of those powers and duties reserved by the director, the commissioner of elementary and secondary education, and the board of regents for elementary and secondary education, the board of trustees shall have the powers and duties of school committees. The Davies school shall be the first school operated under the provisions of this chapter and shall be renamed the William M. Davies, Jr. career and technical high school. The Metropolitan Career and Technical School shall be the second school operated under the provisions of this chapter.
(e)(1) The board of regents for elementary and secondary education shall appoint the members of the board of trustees from nominations made by the commissioner of elementary and secondary education. The chairperson shall also be selected in this manner. The board of regents shall determine the number, qualifications, and terms of office of members of the board of trustees. The board of trustees will be broadly representative of the local communities served by each school and the larger statewide workforce interests.
(2) The board of regents shall establish strategic directions for the career and technical education system that are consistent with the state's economic development plans, workforce requirements, and educational priorities and learner outcomes established by the board of regents.
(3) The board of regents shall provide parameters for the overall budget requests, approve the budget, and participate in budget development as required in subsection (i).
(f)(1) The commissioner of elementary and secondary education shall recommend parameters for the overall budget requests, recommend a budget and participate in budget development as required in subsection (i).
(2) The commissioner shall approve the process for selection of a director of each regional school. The commissioner shall develop a plan for statewide implementation of the provisions of this chapter.
(g) The board of trustees shall meet monthly and serve without compensation. Nine (9) members of the board of trustees shall be required to attend teacher appeal hearings conducted pursuant to § 16-13-4. The board of trustees shall have broad policy making authority for the operation of the school consistent with subsection (e) and the following powers and duties:
(1) To identify the educational needs of the communities in the district.
(2) To develop educational policies to meet the needs of students in the communities served by the school district.
(3) To appoint a director of its regional school to serve as its chief executive officer and to approve assistant and associate directors from nominations made by the director.
(4) To provide policy guidance and participate in budget development as required in subsection (i).
(5) To develop staffing policies which ensure that all students are taught by educators of the highest possible quality.
(h)(1) The director will serve at the pleasure of the board of trustees with the initial appointment to be for a period of not more than three (3) years, provided, that the term and conditions of employment are subject to the approval of the board of regents for elementary and secondary education.
(2) It is the responsibility of the director to manage and operate the school on a day to day basis. The director's duties shall include the following:
(i) To be responsible for the entire care, supervision, and management of the career and technical high school.
(ii) To recommend to the board of trustees educational policies to meet the needs of the district, and to implement policies established by the board of trustees.
(iii) To present nominations to the board of trustees for assistant and associate directors and to appoint all other school personnel.
(iv) To provide for the evaluation of all school district personnel.
(v) To establish a school based management approach for decision making for the operation of the school.
(vi) To prepare a budget and participate in budget development as required in subsection (i), and to authorize purchases consistent with the adopted school district budget.
(vii) To report to the board of trustees on a regular basis the financial condition and operation of the school, and to report annually on the educational progress of the school.
(viii) To establish appropriate advisory committees as needed to provide guidance on new directions and feedback on the operation of the school.
(i) With policy guidance from the board of trustees and extensive involvement of the administrators and faculty in the school, the director of each regional school shall annually prepare a budget. The board of trustees will approve the budget and transmit it to the commissioner. The board of regents for elementary and secondary education, upon recommendation of the commissioner of elementary and secondary education, shall provide parameters for the overall budget request. Based on review and recommendation by the commissioner, the board of regents shall approve the total budget and incorporate it into its budget request to the governor and to the general assembly. Line item budgeting decisions shall be the responsibility of the director.
(j) Nothing in this section shall be deemed to limit or interfere with the rights of teachers and other school employees to bargain collectively pursuant to chapters 9.3 and 9.4 of title 28 or to allow the board of trustees or the director to abrogate any agreement by collective bargaining. Employees at the William M. Davies school shall continue to be state employees and the bargaining units which are presently established at the school shall remain intact.
(k) Any tuition payments, which are made to the William M. Davies Career and Technical high school from the district of residence of its students, as authorized in R.I.G.L. § 16-7.2-5, shall be deposited into a restricted receipt account to be used for the same educational purposes that its state appropriation is used. Any such funds shall be exempt from the indirect cost recovery provisions of § 35-4-7.
Cite this article: FindLaw.com - Nebraska Revised Statutes Chapter 77. Revenue and Taxation § 77-5536. Application; approval; procedure - last updated January 01, 2019 | https://codes.findlaw.com/ne/chapter-77-revenue-and-taxation/ne-rev-st-sect-77-5536/
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