Sec. 20. (a) This section applies to each governing body of a taxing unit that is not comprised of a majority of officials who are elected to serve on the governing body. For purposes of this section, an individual who qualifies to be appointed to a governing body or serves on a governing body because of the individual’s status as an elected official of another taxing unit shall be treated as an official who was not elected to serve on the governing body.

     (b) As used in this section, “taxing unit” has the meaning set forth in IC 6-1.1-1-21, except that the term does not include a public library or an entity whose tax levies are subject to review and modification by a city-county legislative body under IC 36-3-6-9.

     (c) If:

(1) the assessed valuation of a taxing unit is entirely contained within a city or town; or

(2) the assessed valuation of a taxing unit is not entirely contained within a city or town but:

(A) the taxing unit was originally established by the city or town; or

(B) the majority of the individuals serving on the governing body of the taxing unit are appointed by the city or town;

the governing body shall submit its proposed budget and property tax levy to the city or town fiscal body. The proposed budget and levy shall be submitted to the city or town fiscal body in the manner prescribed by the department of local government finance before September 2 of a year.

     (d) If subsection (c) does not apply, the governing body of the taxing unit shall submit its proposed budget and property tax levy to the county fiscal body in the county where the taxing unit has the most assessed valuation. The proposed budget and levy shall be submitted to the county fiscal body in the manner prescribed by the department of local government finance before September 2 of a year.

     (e) The fiscal body of the city, town, or county (whichever applies) shall review each budget and proposed tax levy and adopt a final budget and tax levy for the taxing unit. The fiscal body may reduce or modify but not increase the proposed budget or tax levy.

     (f) If a taxing unit fails to file the information required in subsection (c) or (d), whichever applies, with the appropriate fiscal body by the time prescribed by this section, the most recent annual appropriations and annual tax levy of that taxing unit are continued for the ensuing budget year.

     (g) If the appropriate fiscal body fails to complete the requirements of subsection (e) before the adoption deadline in section 5 of this chapter for any taxing unit subject to this section, the most recent annual appropriations and annual tax levy of the city, town, or county, whichever applies, are continued for the ensuing budget year.

As added by P.L.25-1995, SEC.26. Amended by P.L.1-2004, SEC.19 and P.L.23-2004, SEC.20; P.L.199-2005, SEC.13; P.L.227-2005, SEC.5; P.L.1-2006, SEC.136; P.L.146-2008, SEC.163; P.L.182-2009(ss), SEC.124; P.L.113-2010, SEC.29; P.L.137-2012, SEC.27; P.L.257-2013, SEC.9.