A. General obligation bonds.
(1)Authorization; election. Subject to the approval of the State Bond Commission, or its successor, general obligation bonds may be issued by the City if authorized by a majority of the electors of the City voting on the proposition(s) at an election called by ordinance or resolution adopted by affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the council and conducted substantially in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 6-A of Title 18 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, as amended. Prior to the holding of any election to authorize the issuance of general obligation bonds, the ordinance or resolution of the council ordering and calling the election must be approved by resolution adopted by a majority of the members of the Board of Liquidation.
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A. General obligation bonds. (1) Authorization; election. Subject to the approval of the State Bond Commission, or its successor, general obligation bonds may be issued by the City if authorized by a majority of the electors of the City voting on the proposition(s) at an election called by ordinance or resolution adopted by affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the council and conducted substantially in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 6-A of Title 18 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, as amended. Prior to the holding of any election to authorize the issuance of general obligation bonds, the ordinance or resolution of the council ordering and calling the election must be approved by resolution adopted by a majority of the members of the Board of Liquidation.
(2) Debt limit. No general obligation bonds shall be issued by the City in an amount which shall exceed the limit of indebtedness provided for municipalities in R.S. 39:562(B), or five hundred million dollars, whichever is greater.
(3) Security. All general obligation bonds of the City shall be payable from ad valorem taxes levied by the council on all the property subject to taxation within the City sufficient in amount to pay principal and interest and redemption premiums, if any, thereon as they respectively become due and shall be additionally secured by a pledge of the full faith and credit of the City.
(4) Obligation to impose and collect taxes. The council shall impose and collect annually in excess of all other taxes, a tax on all the property subject to taxation within the City sufficient to pay the principal and interest and redemption premiums, if any, on all general obligation bonds in each year. All ad valorem taxes levied by the council in each year for the payment of general obligation bonds shall, upon their receipt, be transferred daily to the Board of Liquidation which shall have responsibility for the deposit of such receipts and for the investment and reinvestment of such receipts and the servicing of the outstanding general obligation bonds.
(5) Failure to collect taxes; default in collection. Should the council neglect or fail for any reason to impose or collect sufficient taxes for the payment of the principal or interest or redemption premiums, if any, on any general obligation bonds, any person in interest may enforce imposition and collection thereof in any court having jurisdiction of the subject matter, and any suit, action, or proceeding brought by such person in interest for such purpose shall be a preferred cause, and shall be heard by a court of competent jurisdiction and disposed of without delay. In the event of any default in the imposition and collection of any taxes required for the payment of the principal and interest and redemption premiums, if any, on any general obligation bonds, the Board of Liquidation shall, itself, by proper resolution, have the power to levy and collect the taxes required for the payment of principal and interest and redemption premiums, if any, and shall certify the rate and necessity therefor and cause the same to be imposed and collected at the same time and in the same manner as other taxes are imposed and collected in the City.
(6) Bond proceeds. All proceeds derived from the sale of bonds shall be used solely for the purpose for which the bonds are issued; provided, that if for any reason the proceeds cannot be so used, the proceeds can be used for such other purpose as may be authorized by the electors voting on such proposition at an election called and conducted substantially in accordance with the provisions of Paragraph 1 hereof.
B. Limited or special tax supported bonds. The City and public entities are hereby authorized to issue bonds payable from the proceeds of limited or special ad valorem taxes in the manner set forth in the constitution or law providing the authority for the issuance of such type bonds, provided, however, that unless the issuing entity is required by such authority to adopt the resolution authorizing the issuance of such type bonds, the Board of Liquidation shall adopt the resolution authorizing the issuance of such bonds by affirmative vote of a majority of its members.
C. Sales tax bonds. The City is authorized to fund sales tax revenues into bonds in accordance with the provisions of Subpart F, Part III, Chapter 4 of Title 39 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, as amended, except that:
(1) The council shall adopt the resolution authorizing and issuing the bonds by affirmative vote of a majority of its members and the Board of Liquidation shall approve such resolution of the council by resolution adopted by affirmative vote of a majority of its members,
(2) The bonds shall be sold on behalf of the City by the Board of Liquidation at either public or private sale as provided in R.S. 39:1037, and
(3) The bonds shall be executed in the manner provided in the resolution authorizing their issuance.
D. Revenue bonds. (1) The City and public entities are hereby authorized to issue revenue bonds for any authorized purpose payable out of the income, revenues, and receipts derived or to be derived from the properties or facilities owned, leased, mortgaged, or pledged to, maintained or operated by the City or any public entity or received by the City or income, revenues, and receipts received by the City or such public entity from such property and facilities, or derived from contracts or agreements relating to such properties and facilities, including, but not limited to, lease or sublease agreements, sale agreements, loan agreements, pledge agreements, or other financing agreements between the City or such public entity and any entity or from any other sources whatsoever, including but not by way of limitation, other monies which, by law or contract, may be made available to the City or a public entity. The revenue bonds may be issued in accordance with the authority granted by Subpart C, Part I, Chapter 10, Title 33 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes, or Part XIII* of Title 39 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes or R.S. 39:1430, and such other laws relating to the issuance of revenue bonds as may be applicable to municipal corporations as political subdivisions of the state, including laws pertaining specifically to the City or its agencies, boards, authorities, and commissions. Notwithstanding the provisions of the aforesaid laws referred to in the previous sentence to the contrary, the provisions of Chapters 13, 13-A and 14 of Title 39 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes shall be applicable to revenue bonds and shall, to the extent of any conflict therewith, govern those matters which are the subject of said Chapters of Title 39.
(2) The issuance of any revenue bonds by the City under the provisions of this Subsection is subject to approval of the council by resolution adopted by affirmative vote of a majority of its members and the approval of the public entity issuing such bonds or the public entity on whose behalf such bonds are issued, by affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the governing authority of such public entity. Except as provided herein, no other approval for the issuance of revenue bonds shall be required other than that provided by Article VII, Section 8(B) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
E. Special assessment certificates. The City and public entities are authorized to issue certificates of indebtedness to finance works of public improvement secured by a pledge of local or special assessments imposed pursuant to the provisions of Article VI, Section 36 of the Constitution of Louisiana and may additionally secure such certificates by a pledge of its full faith and credit. The certificates may be issued in accordance with any local law relating to the issuance of such type certificates by the City or its public entities or may be issued in accordance with general state laws applicable to certificates secured by special assessments issued by municipal corporations of the state.
F. Refunding bonds. The City and public entities are hereby authorized to issue refunding bonds for the purposes of refunding, readjusting, restructuring, refinancing, extending, or unifying the whole or any part of its outstanding bonds in an amount sufficient to provide the funds necessary to effectuate the purpose for which the refunding bonds are being issued and to pay all costs associated therewith. Such refunding bonds may be issued in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 14-A of Title 39 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, except that in the case of refunding bonds which are general obligations of the City or are payable from limited or special ad valorem taxes, the Board of Liquidation shall be considered to be the governing body of the issuer where such term is used in connection with the issuance of the refunding bonds in said Chapter 14-A. In case of refunding bonds payable from sales tax revenues, the Board of Liquidation shall approve the issuance of such bonds by resolution adopted by affirmative vote of a majority of its members, and the Board of Liquidation shall sell such bonds. In those instances where the bonds being refunded were subject to the approval of the council, the resolution providing for the issuance of the refunding bonds shall be approved by resolution adopted by the affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the council.
G. Short-term revenue notes. The City and public entities are hereby authorized to issue short-term revenue notes in the manner provided by Chapter 15-A of Title 39 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950.
H. Tax anticipation notes and certificates. The City, acting through the council, may borrow in any calendar year in anticipation of the collection of the taxes of such calendar year, and for any of the purposes for which such taxes are levied, such sum as shall not be in excess of seventy-five percent of the amount determined by the council to be the uncollected taxes of such year and may issue notes and/or certificates to evidence such borrowings. The term "taxes" as used herein shall mean and include ad valorem, sales and use, excise, and other special taxes.
*NOTE: AS APPEARS IN ENROLLED BILL.
{{NOTE: SEE ACTS 1985, NO. 674, §§14 - 17.}}