State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
Legislation

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91_SB1627eng

 
SB1627 Engrossed                               LRB9112143MWgc

 1        AN ACT concerning local government debt.

 2        Be  it  enacted  by  the People of the State of Illinois,
 3    represented in the General Assembly:

 4        Section 5.  The  Local  Government  Debt  Reform  Act  is
 5    amended  by  changing  Sections  5,  13, and 17 and by adding
 6    Section 16.5 as follows:

 7        (30 ILCS 350/5) (from Ch. 17, par. 6905)
 8        Sec. 5.  Backdoor referendum  procedure.   (a)   Whenever
 9    applicable   law  provides  that  the  authorization  or  the
10    issuance of bonds, or the becoming effective of an  ordinance
11    providing  for the authorization or issuance of bonds, may be
12    subject to a backdoor  referendum,  the  provisions  of  this
13    Section  may  be  used  as  an  alternative  to  the specific
14    procedures as otherwise set forth by applicable law.
15        (b)  The  governing  body  may   adopt   an   authorizing
16    ordinance  describing briefly the authority under which bonds
17    are proposed to be issued,  the  nature  of  the  project  or
18    purpose  to  be  financed,  the  estimated total costs of the
19    project or purpose, including in such costs all items related
20    to financing the project or purpose, and the  maximum  amount
21    of  bonds  authorized  to  be  issued  to pay such costs.  No
22    further  details  or  specifications  are  required  in  such
23    authorizing ordinance.   Such  authorizing  ordinance,  along
24    with   any  other  notice  as  required  by  applicable  law,
25    including any notice as to the right of electors  to  file  a
26    petition  and  the number of voters required to sign any such
27    petition, shall be published at least once in a newspaper  of
28    general  circulation in the governmental unit.  The governing
29    body  may,  but  is  not  required  to,   post   the   notice
30    electronically  on  its  World  Wide  Web  pages or posted as
31    required by applicable law.  A petition may  be  filed  after
 
SB1627 Engrossed            -2-                LRB9112143MWgc
 1    such  publication or posting during the period as provided by
 2    applicable law; but upon the expiration of  any  such  period
 3    without  the filing of a petition meeting the requirements of
 4    the applicable law, the governing body shall be authorized to
 5    issue such bonds  as  if  they  had  followed  all  necessary
 6    procedures set forth in such applicable law.
 7        (c)  If   no   petition   meeting   the  requirements  of
 8    applicable law is filed during the petition period, then  the
 9    governing body may adopt additional ordinances or proceedings
10    supplementing  or  amending the authorizing ordinance so long
11    as  the  maximum  amount  of  bonds  as  set  forth  in   the
12    authorizing  ordinance  is  not  exceeded  and  there  is  no
13    material  change  in  the project or purpose described in the
14    authorizing  ordinance.    Such  additional   ordinances   or
15    proceedings   shall   in   all   instances  become  effective
16    immediately without publication or posting or any further act
17    or requirement.  The  authorizing  ordinance,  together  with
18    such  additional  ordinance  or proceedings, shall constitute
19    complete authority for  the  issuance  of  such  bonds  under
20    applicable law.
21        (d)  If  applicable  law provides that notice alone shall
22    be given to commence a backdoor referendum, the notice  shall
23    be  published  at  least  once  in  a  newspaper  of  general
24    circulation  in  the  governmental  unit.  The governing body
25    may, but is not required to, post the  notice  electronically
26    on its World Wide Web pages.
27    (Source: P.A. 85-1419.)

28        (30 ILCS 350/13) (from Ch. 17, par. 6913)
29        Sec.  13.   Certain  pledges.   A  governmental  unit may
30    pledge, as  security  for  the  payment  of  its  bonds,  (1)
31    revenues  derived from the operation of any utility system or
32    revenue producing enterprise, (2) moneys deposited or  to  be
33    deposited into any special fund of the governmental unit, (3)
 
SB1627 Engrossed            -3-                LRB9112143MWgc
 1    grants  or other revenues or taxes expected to be received by
 2    the governmental unit from the State or  federal  government,
 3    including  taxes imposed by the governmental unit pursuant to
 4    grant of authority by the State, such as sales or  use  taxes
 5    or  utility  taxes,  (4)  special assessments to be collected
 6    with  respect  to  a  local  improvement  financed  with  the
 7    proceeds of bonds, or (5) payments  to  be  made  by  another
 8    governmental  unit  pursuant  to  a  service,  user  or other
 9    similar agreement with such governmental unit.
10        Any such pledge made by  a  governmental  unit  shall  be
11    valid  and  binding  from  the time such pledge is made.  The
12    revenues, moneys and other funds so  pledged  and  thereafter
13    received  by  the  governmental  unit  shall  immediately  be
14    subject  to  the  lien  of  such  pledge without any physical
15    delivery thereof or further act; and,  subject  only  to  the
16    provisions of prior agreements, the lien of such pledge shall
17    be  valid and binding as against all parties having claims of
18    any  kind  in  tort,  contract  or  otherwise   against   the
19    governmental  unit  irrespective of whether such parties have
20    notice thereof.  Pursuant to any such pledge, a  governmental
21    unit may bind itself to impose rates, charges or taxes to the
22    fullest  extent  permitted  by applicable law.  No ordinance,
23    resolution, trust agreement or other instrument by which such
24    pledge is created need be filed or  recorded  except  in  the
25    records of the governmental unit.
26        The   State   Treasurer,   the   State  Comptroller,  the
27    Department of Revenue, the Department of Transportation,  the
28    State   Superintendent   of   Education,   or   any  Regional
29    Superintendent of  Schools  shall  deposit  or  cause  to  be
30    deposited  any  amount  of  grants or other revenues or taxes
31    expected to be received by  a  governmental  unit  from  that
32    official  or  entity that have been pledged to the payment of
33    bonds of  the  governmental  unit,  in  accordance  with  the
34    authorization  of  the  governmental  unit,  directly  into a
 
SB1627 Engrossed            -4-                LRB9112143MWgc
 1    designated escrow account  established  by  the  governmental
 2    unit.   The  ordinance  authorizing  that  disposition shall,
 3    within 10 days after adoption by the governing  body  of  the
 4    governmental  unit,  be  filed  with  the  official or entity
 5    having custody of the pledged grants  or  other  revenues  or
 6    taxes.
 7    (Source: P.A. 85-1419.)

 8        (30 ILCS 350/16.5 new)
 9        Sec.  16.5.  Proposition  for  bonds.   For all elections
10    held after July  1,  2000,  the  form  of  a  proposition  to
11    authorize   the  issuance  of  bonds  pursuant  to  either  a
12    referendum or backdoor referendum may be as set forth in this
13    Section as an alternative  to  the  form  of  proposition  as
14    otherwise  set  forth  by  applicable  law.   The proposition
15    authorized by this Section  shall  be  in  substantially  the
16    following form:
17             Shall (name of governmental unit) (state purpose for
18        the  bond  issue)  and issue its bonds to the amount of $
19        (state amount)  for  the  purpose  of  paying  the  costs
20        thereof?
21        If  a  school  district  has received a grant entitlement
22    from the Illinois State Board of Education  pursuant  to  the
23    School  Construction Law for a school construction project to
24    be financed in part with proceeds of  a  bond  authorized  by
25    referendum, then the form of proposition may at the option of
26    the  school  district  additionally contain substantially the
27    following language:
28             (Name of  school  district)  has  received  a  grant
29        entitlement  in  the  amount of $ (state amount) from the
30        Illinois State Board of Education pursuant to the  School
31        Construction  Law  for the school construction project to
32        be financed in part with proceeds of the bonds.
 
SB1627 Engrossed            -5-                LRB9112143MWgc
 1        (30 ILCS 350/17) (from Ch. 17, par. 6917)
 2        Sec. 17.  Leases and installment contracts.
 3        (a)  Interest not debt; debt on  leases  and  installment
 4    contracts.  Interest  on  bonds  shall not be included in any
 5    computation of indebtedness of a governmental  unit  for  the
 6    purpose  of any statutory provision or limitation.  For bonds
 7    consisting of leases and installment or financing  contracts,
 8    (1)  that  portion  of  payments  made by a governmental unit
 9    under the terms of a bond designated as interest in the  bond
10    or  the  ordinance  authorizing such bond shall be treated as
11    interest for purposes of this Section (2) where  portions  of
12    payments  due  under  the  terms  of  a  bond  have  not been
13    designated  as  interest  in  the  bond  or   the   ordinance
14    authorizing  such bond, and all or a portion of such payments
15    is to be used for the payment of principal of and interest on
16    other bonds of the  governmental  unit  or  bonds  issued  by
17    another  unit  of local government, such as a public building
18    commission, the  payments  equal  to  interest  due  on  such
19    corresponding bonds shall be treated as interest for purposes
20    of  this Section and (3) where portions of payments due under
21    the terms of a bond have not been designated as  interest  in
22    the bond or ordinance authorizing such bond and no portion of
23    any  such  payment is to be used for the payment of principal
24    of and interest on other bonds of the  governmental  unit  or
25    another  unit  of local government, a portion of each payment
26    due under the terms of such bond shall be treated as interest
27    for purposes of this Section; such portion shall be equal  in
28    amount  to  the  interest  that  would  have  been  paid on a
29    notional  obligation  of  the  governmental   unit   (bearing
30    interest  at  the  highest rate permitted by law for bonds of
31    the governmental unit at the time the bond was issued or,  if
32    no  such  limit  existed,  12%)  on  which  the  payments  of
33    principal  and interest were due at the same times and in the
34    same amounts as payments are  due  under  the  terms  of  the
 
SB1627 Engrossed            -6-                LRB9112143MWgc
 1    bonds.    The  rule  set  forth  in  this  Section  shall  be
 2    applicable to all interest no matter when earned  or  accrued
 3    or  at  what  interval  paid, and whether or not a bond bears
 4    interest which compounds at certain intervals.  For  purposes
 5    of  bonds sold at amounts less than 95% of their stated value
 6    at maturity, interest for purposes of this  Section  includes
 7    the  difference  between  the amount set forth on the face of
 8    the bond as the original  principal  amount  and  the  bond's
 9    stated value at maturity.
10        This  subsection  may  be made applicable to bonds issued
11    prior to the effective date of this  Act  by  passage  of  an
12    ordinance   to  such  effect  by  the  governing  body  of  a
13    governmental unit.
14        (b)  Purchase or lease of property.  The  governing  body
15    of  each  governmental unit may purchase or lease either real
16    or  personal  property,  including  investments,   investment
17    agreements,  or  investment services, through agreements that
18    provide that the consideration for the purchase or lease  may
19    be  paid  through installments made at stated intervals for a
20    period of no more than 20 years or  another  period  of  time
21    authorized  by  law, whichever is greater.  Each governmental
22    unit  may  issue  certificates  evidencing  the  indebtedness
23    incurred under the lease or agreement.   The  governing  body
24    may  provide for the treasurer, comptroller, finance officer,
25    or other officer of the governing body charged with financial
26    administration to act as counter-party to any such  lease  or
27    agreement,  as  nominee  lessor or seller.  When the lease or
28    agreement is executed by the officer of the governmental unit
29    authorized by the governing body  to  bind  the  governmental
30    unit  thereon  by the execution thereof and is filed with and
31    executed by the  nominee  lessor  or  seller,  the  lease  or
32    agreement  shall be sufficiently executed so as to permit the
33    governmental  unit  to  issue  certificates  evidencing   the
34    indebtedness  incurred  under  the  lease  or agreement.  The
 
SB1627 Engrossed            -7-                LRB9112143MWgc
 1    certificates agreements.   The  certificate  shall  be  valid
 2    whether  or  not  an  appropriation  with  respect thereto is
 3    included in any annual or supplemental budget adopted by  the
 4    governmental  unit.  From time to time, as the governing body
 5    executes  contracts  for  the  purpose   of   acquiring   and
 6    constructing  the  services or real or personal property that
 7    is a part of the subject of the lease or agreement, including
 8    financial, legal,  architectural,  and  engineering  services
 9    related  to  the lease or agreement, the governing body shall
10    order the contracts filed with its nominee officer, and  that
11    officer   shall  identify  the  contracts  to  the  lease  or
12    agreement; that identification shall permit  the  payment  of
13    the  contract  from the proceeds of the certificates; and the
14    nominee officer shall duly  apply  or  cause  to  be  applied
15    proceeds of the certificates to the payment of the contracts.
16    The governing body of each governmental unit may sell, lease,
17    convey,  and  reacquire  either real or personal property, or
18    any interest in real or personal property, upon any terms and
19    conditions and in any manner, as  the  governing  body  shall
20    determine,  if  the  governmental unit will lease, acquire by
21    purchase agreement, or otherwise reacquire the  property,  as
22    authorized by this subsection or any other applicable law.
23        All  indebtedness  incurred  under  this subsection, when
24    aggregated with the existing indebtedness of the governmental
25    unit, may not exceed the debt limits provided  by  applicable
26    law.
27    (Source: P.A. 91-493, eff. 8-13-99.)

28        Section  99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect upon
29    becoming law.

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