NMSA 1978, § 7-20E-23 — 7-20E-23

County regional transit gross receipts tax; authority to
impose; rate; election required.

# A.

Upon a request by resolution of the board of directors of a regional transit district,
a majority of the members of the governing body of each county that is within the district
shall impose by identical ordinances an excise tax at the rate specified in the resolution,
but not to exceed one-half percent of the gross receipts of any person engaging in
business in the district for the privilege of engaging in business. A tax imposed pursuant
to this section may be imposed by one or more ordinances, each imposing any number
of tax rate increments, but an increment shall not be less than one-sixteenth percent of
the gross receipts of any person engaging in business in the district and the aggregate
of all rates shall not exceed one-half percent of the gross receipts of any person
engaging in business in the district. The tax may be referred to as the "county regional
transit gross receipts tax".

# B.

Each governing body, at the time of enacting an ordinance imposing the tax
authorized in Subsection A of this section, shall dedicate the revenue for the purposes
authorized by the Regional Transit District Act [Chapter 73, Article 25 NMSA 1978].

# C.

An ordinance imposing a county regional transit gross receipts tax shall not go
into effect until after a joint election is held by all counties within the district and a
majority of the voters of the district voting in the election votes in favor of imposing the
tax. Each governing body shall adopt an ordinance calling for a joint election within
seventy-five days of the date the resolution is adopted on the question of imposing the
tax. The question shall be submitted to the voters of the district as a separate question
at a general election or at a joint special election called for that purpose by each
governing body. A joint special election shall be called, conducted and canvassed
substantially in the same manner as provided by law for general elections. If a majority
of the voters in the district voting on the question approves the ordinance imposing the
county regional transit gross receipts tax, the ordinance shall become effective in
accordance with the provisions of the County Local Option Gross Receipts Taxes Act
[County Local Option Gross Receipts and Compensating Taxes Act]. If the question of
imposing the county regional transit gross receipts tax fails, the governing bodies shall
not again propose the imposition of any increment of the tax for a period of one year
from the date of the election.

# D.

The governing body of a county imposing a county regional transit gross receipts
tax shall transfer all proceeds from the tax to the regional transit district for the purposes
specified in the ordinance and in accordance with the provisions of the Regional Transit
District Act.

# E.

As used in this section, "county within the district" means a county within which
lies any portion of a regional transit district.