§8705. Local tax study commission.

(a) Appointment.--A governing body may appoint a local tax study commission.

(b) Membership.--The local tax study commission shall consist of five members who are resident individuals or taxpayers of the school district and shall reflect the socioeconomic, age and occupational diversity of the school district to the extent possible.

(1) Except for paragraph (2), no member shall be an official or employee, or a relative thereof, of the school district.

(2) One member may be a member of the governing body.

(c) Staff and expenses.--The governing body shall provide necessary and reasonable support staff and shall reimburse the members of the local tax study commission for necessary and reasonable expenses in the discharge of their duties.

(d) Contents of study.--The local tax study commission shall study the existing taxes levied, assessed and collected by the school district and their effect. The local tax study commission shall determine how the tax policies of the school district could be improved by the levy, assessment and collection of the taxes authorized pursuant to this chapter. The study shall include, but not be limited to, consideration of all of the following:

(1) Historic and present rates of and revenue from taxes currently levied, assessed and collected.

(2) The age, income, employment and property use characteristics of the existing tax base.

(3) Projected revenues of taxes currently levied, assessed and collected, including taxes authorized and taxes not levied under this chapter.

(e) Recommendation.--Within 90 days of its appointment, the local tax study commission shall make a nonbinding recommendation to the governing body regarding the imposition of an earned income and net profits tax to be levied, assessed and collected commencing the next fiscal year. Except as provided in subsection (f), if the governing body appoints a commission, the earned income and net profits tax authorized under this chapter may not be levied, assessed or collected until receipt of the recommendation. No later than 90 days prior to the next municipal election occurring at least 150 days after the submission of the recommendation, the governing body shall accept or reject the recommendation of the local tax study commission or adopt an alternative proposal authorized under this chapter.

(f) Failure to issue a recommendation.--If the local tax study commission fails to make a recommendation under subsection (e), the governing body may adopt a proposal authorized under this chapter.

(g) Public distribution of report.--The local tax study commission shall publish a final report of its findings and recommendation and deliver the report to the governing body. The governing body shall supply copies to any interested persons upon request.

(h) Materials.--All records of the local tax study commission shall be available for public inspection during the regular business hours of the school district.