§ 31-10-120 — Power of commission to issue and sell bonds; liability of commission and others thereon.

(a) The commission has the power to issue bonds from time to time for any of its corporate purposes including the payment of principal and interest upon any advances for surveys and plans for redevelopment projects. The commission also has the power to issue refunding bonds for the purpose of paying or retiring or in exchange for bonds previously issued by it. The commission may issue bonds on which the principal and interest are payable: (1) exclusively from the income, proceeds, and revenues of the redevelopment project financed with the proceeds of such bonds; (2) exclusively from the income, proceeds, and revenues of any of its redevelopment projects whether or not they are financed in whole or in part with the proceeds of such bonds; provided, that any such bonds may be additionally secured by a pledge of any loan, grant, or contributions, or parts thereof, from the federal government or other source, or a mortgage of any redevelopment project or projects of the commission. (b) Neither the commissioners of a commission nor any person executing the bonds shall be liable personally on the bonds by reason of the issuance thereof. The bonds and other obligations of the commission (and such bonds and obligations shall so state on their face) shall not be a debt of the municipality or the State and neither the municipality nor the State is liable on them, nor in any event shall such bonds or obligations be payable out of any funds or properties other than those of the commission acquired for the purpose of this chapter. The bonds shall not constitute an indebtedness of the municipality within the meaning of any constitutional or statutory debt limitation or restriction. Bonds of a commission are declared to be issued for an essential public and governmental purpose and to be public instrumentalities and, together with interest thereon and income therefrom, shall be exempt from all taxes except inheritance, estate, or transfer taxes. Bonds may be issued by a commission under this chapter notwithstanding any debt or other limitation prescribed in any statute. This chapter without reference to other statutes of the State shall constitute full and complete authority for the authorization and issuance of bonds by the commission hereunder and such authorization and issuance is not subject to any conditions, restrictions, or limitations imposed by any other statute whether general, special, or local, except as provided in subsection (d) of this section. (c) Bonds of the commission must be authorized by its resolution and may be issued in one or more series and shall bear such date or dates, be payable upon demand or mature at such time or times not to exceed forty-five years, bear interest at such rate or rates, be in such denomination or denominations, be in such form either coupon or registered, carry such conversion or registration privileges, have such rank or priority, be executed in such manner, be payable in such medium of payment, at such place or places, and be subject to such terms of redemption (with or without premium) as the resolution may provide. (d) Bonds must be sold by the commission at either public or private sale upon such terms and in such manner, consistent with the provisions of this chapter, as the commission may determine. Such bonds may be sold to one or more financial institutions whether within or without this State. Prior to the public sale of bonds hereunder, the commission shall first cause a notice of the sale of the bonds to be published at least once at least ten days before the date fixed for the receipt of bids for the bonds in a newspaper of general circulation in the commission's area of operation, and provided, that any bonds may be sold by the commission at private sale upon such terms and conditions as are mutually agreed upon between the commission and the purchaser. No bonds issued pursuant to this chapter may be sold at less than par and accrued interest. (e) In case any of the commissioners or officers of the commission whose signatures appear on any bonds or coupons shall cease to be such commissioners or officers before the delivery of such bonds, such signatures are, nevertheless, valid and sufficient for all purposes, the same as if such commissioners or officers had remained in office until such delivery. Any provisions of any law to the contrary notwithstanding, any bonds issued pursuant to this chapter are fully negotiable unless specified to the contrary by the commission. (f) In any suit, action, or proceeding involving the validity or enforceability of any bond of the commission or the security therefor, any such bond reciting in substance that it has been issued by the commission to aid in financing a redevelopment project, as defined by this chapter is conclusively deemed to have been issued for such purpose and such project is conclusively deemed to have been planned, located, and carried out in accordance with the purposes and provisions of this chapter. (g) Bonds (including, without limitation, interim and long-term notes) may be issued or sold under this chapter at private sale upon such terms and conditions as may be negotiated and mutually agreed upon by the commission and the purchaser who may be the government or other public or private lender.

Legislative History

HISTORY: 1984 Act No. 451, SECTION 13; 1987 Act No. 2, SECTION 1.