Montana Code Annotated 2023

TITLE 7. LOCAL GOVERNMENT

CHAPTER 14. TRANSPORTATION

Part 16. Railway Authorities

Bonds And Obligations

7-14-1636. Bonds and obligations. (1) An authority may borrow money for any of its corporate purposes and issue bonds for its purposes, including refunding bonds, in a form and upon terms as it determines, payable out of any revenue of the authority, including revenue derived from:

(a) a railroad;

(b) taxes levied pursuant to 7-14-1632;

(c) grants or contributions from the federal government; or

(d) other sources.

(2) The bonds may be issued by resolution of the authority, without an election and without any limitation of amount, except that bonds may not be issued at any time if the total amount of principal and interest to become due in a year on the bonds and on any then-outstanding bonds for which revenue from the same source is pledged exceeds the amount of the revenue to be received in that year, as estimated in the resolution authorizing the issuance of the bonds. The authority shall take all action necessary and possible to impose, maintain, and collect rates, charges, and rentals and to request taxes, if any are pledged, sufficient to make the revenue from the pledged source in the year at least equal to the amount of principal and interest due in that year.

(3) The bonds may be sold at public or private sale and may bear interest as provided in 17-5-102. Bonds issued by an authority pursuant to this part may be payable as to principal and interest solely from revenue of the authority and must state on their face the applicable limitations or restrictions regarding the source from which the principal and interest are payable.

(4) Bonds issued by an authority pursuant to the provisions of this part are declared to be issued for an essential public and governmental purpose by a political subdivision.

(5) For the security of the bonds, the authority may by resolution make and enter into any covenant, agreement, or indenture and may exercise any additional powers authorized to be exercised by a municipality under Title 7, chapter 7, parts 44 and 45. The sums required from time to time to pay principal and interest and to create and maintain a reserve for the bonds may be paid from the revenue referred to in this part, prior to the payment of current costs of operation and maintenance of the facilities.

History: En. Sec. 16, Ch. 333, L. 1993; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 503, L. 2021.