(1) A financing entity
may issue bonds from time to time in its discretion to finance any eligible
improvements with respect to a regional tourism project and may also issue
refunding or other bonds of the financing entity from time to time in its discretion
for the payment, retirement, renewal, or extension of any bonds previously issued
by the financing entity under this section and to provide for the replacement of lost,
destroyed, or mutilated bonds previously issued under this section.
(2) (a) Bonds issued under this section may be general obligation bonds of
the financing entity, the payment of which, as to principal and interest and
premiums, if any, the full faith, credit, and assets, acquired and to be acquired, of
the financing entity are irrevocably pledged.
(b) Bonds issued under this section may be special obligations of the
financing entity that, as to principal and interest and premiums, if any, are payable
solely from and secured only by a pledge of any income, proceeds, revenues, or
funds of the financing entity, including, without limitation, state sales tax increment
revenue.
(3) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, any bonds issued
under this section may be additionally secured as to the payment of the principal
and interest and premiums, if any, by a mortgage of any regional tourism project, or
any part thereof, title to which is then or thereafter in the financing entity or of any
other real or personal property or interests therein then owned or thereafter
acquired by the financing entity.
(4) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, general obligation
bonds issued under this section may be additionally secured as to the payment of
the principal and interest and premiums, if any, as provided in subsection (2) of this
section, with or without being also additionally secured as to payment of the
principal and interest and premiums, if any, by a mortgage as provided in
subsection (3) of this section or a trust agreement as provided in subsection (5) of
this section.
(5) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, any bonds issued
under this section may be additionally secured as to the payment of the principal
and interest and premiums, if any, by a trust agreement by and between the
financing entity and a corporate trustee, which may be any trust company or bank
having the powers of a trust company within or without the state.
(6) Bonds issued under this section shall not constitute an indebtedness of
the state or of any county, municipality, or public body of the state other than the
financing entity issuing such bonds and shall not be subject to the provisions of any
other law or of the charter of any municipality relating to the authorization,
issuance, or sale of bonds.
(7) Bonds issued under this section shall be authorized by a resolution of the
financing entity and may be issued in one or more series and shall bear such date,
be payable upon demand or mature at such time, bear interest at such rate, be in
such denomination, be in such form, either coupon or registered or otherwise, carry
such conversion or registration privileges, have such rank or priority, be executed in
the name of the financing entity in such manner, be payable in such medium of
payment, be payable at such place, be subject to such callability provisions or
terms of redemption, with or without premiums, be secured in such manner, be of
such description, contain or be subject to such covenants, provisions, terms,
conditions, and agreements, including provisions concerning events of default, and
have such other characteristics as may be provided by such resolution or by the
trust agreement, indenture, or mortgage, if any, issued pursuant to such resolution.
The seal, or a facsimile thereof, of the financing entity shall be affixed, imprinted,
engraved, or otherwise reproduced upon each of its bonds issued under this
section. Bonds issued under this section shall be executed in the name of the
financing entity by the manual or facsimile signatures of such officials as may be
designated in said resolution or trust agreement, indenture, or mortgage; except
that at least one signature on each such bond shall be a manual signature.
Coupons, if any, attached to such bonds shall bear the facsimile signature of such
official of the financing entity as may be designated as provided in this subsection
(7). Said resolution or trust agreement, indenture, or mortgage may provide for the
authentication of the pertinent bonds by the trustee.
(8) Bonds issued under this section may be sold by the financing entity in
such manner and for such price as the financing entity, in its discretion, may
determine, at par, below par, or above par, at private sale or at public sale after
notice published prior to such sale in a newspaper having general circulation in the
municipality, or in such other medium of publication as the financing entity may
deem appropriate, or may be exchanged by the financing entity for other bonds
issued by it under this section.
(9) If any of the officials of the financing entity whose signatures or facsimile
signatures appear on any of its bonds or coupons issued under this section cease to
be such officials before the delivery of such bonds, such signatures or facsimile
signatures, as the case may be, shall nevertheless be valid and sufficient for all
purposes, the same as if such officials had remained in office until such delivery.
(10) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any bonds that are issued
pursuant to this section are fully negotiable.
(11) In any suit, action, or proceeding involving the validity or enforceability of
any bond that is issued under this section or the security therefor, any such bond
reciting in substance that it has been issued by the financing entity in connection
with a regional tourism project or any activity or operation of the financing entity
under this part 3 shall be conclusively deemed to have been issued for such
purposes; and such regional tourism project or such operation or activity, as the
case may be, shall be conclusively deemed to have been initiated, planned, located,
undertaken, accomplished, and carried out in accordance with the provisions of this
part 3.
(12) Pending the preparation of any definitive bonds under this section, a
financing entity may issue its interim certificates or receipts or its temporary bonds,
with or without coupons, exchangeable for such definitive bonds when the latter
have been executed and are available for delivery.
(13) A person retained or employed by a financing entity as an advisor or a
consultant for the purpose of rendering financial advice and assistance may
purchase or participate in the purchase or distribution of its bonds when such bonds
are offered at public or private sale.
(14) No commissioner or other officer of a financing entity issuing bonds
under this section and no person executing such bonds is liable personally on such
bonds or is subject to any personal liability or accountability by reason of the
issuance thereof.
(15) No commissioner or other officer of a regional tourism authority issuing
bonds pursuant to this part 3 and no person executing such bonds shall be liable
personally on such bonds or shall be subject to any personal liability or
accountability by reason of the issuance of the bonds.
(16) Bonds that are issued pursuant to this part 3 are declared to be issued
for an essential public and governmental purpose and, together with interest
thereon and income therefrom, shall be exempted from all taxes.