Sec. 16. (a) A civil taxing unit may request permission from the department to impose an ad valorem property tax levy that exceeds the limits imposed by section 3 of this chapter if:

(1) the civil taxing unit experienced a property tax revenue shortfall that resulted from erroneous assessed valuation figures being provided to the civil taxing unit;

(2) the erroneous assessed valuation figures were used by the civil taxing unit in determining its total property tax rate; and

(3) the error in the assessed valuation figures was found after the civil taxing unit's property tax levy resulting from that total rate was finally approved by the department of local government finance.

However, a civil taxing unit may not make a request described in this subsection on account of a revenue shortfall experienced in excess of five (5) years from the date of the most recent certified budget, tax rate, and levy of the civil taxing unit under IC 6-1.1-17-16.

(b) A civil taxing unit may request permission from the department to impose an ad valorem property tax levy that exceeds the limits imposed by section 3 of this chapter if the civil taxing unit experienced a property tax revenue shortfall because of the payment of refunds that resulted from appeals under this article and IC 6-1.5. However, a civil taxing unit may not make a request described in this subsection on account of a revenue shortfall experienced in excess of five (5) years from the date of the most recent certified budget, tax rate, and levy of the civil taxing unit under IC 6-1.1-17-16.

(c) If the department determines that a shortfall described in subsection (a) or (b) has occurred, the department of local government finance may find that the civil taxing unit should be allowed to impose a property tax levy exceeding the limit imposed by section 3 of this chapter. However, the maximum amount by which the civil taxing unit's levy may be increased over the limits imposed by section 3 of this chapter equals the remainder of the civil taxing unit's property tax levy for the particular calendar year as finally approved by the department of local government finance minus the actual property tax levy collected by the civil taxing unit for that particular calendar year.

(d) Any property taxes collected by a civil taxing unit over the limits imposed by section 3 of this chapter under the authority of this section may not be treated as a part of the civil taxing unit's maximum permissible ad valorem property tax levy for purposes of determining its maximum permissible ad valorem property tax levy for future years.

(e) If the department of local government finance authorizes an excess tax levy under this section, it shall take appropriate steps to insure that the proceeds are first used to repay any loan made to the civil taxing unit for the purpose of meeting its current expenses.

As added by P.L.73-1983, SEC.1. Amended by P.L.90-2002, SEC.171; P.L.1-2004, SEC.23 and P.L.23-2004, SEC.25; P.L.224-2007, SEC.30; P.L.146-2008, SEC.184; P.L.182-2009(ss), SEC.136; P.L.257-2019, SEC.53.