§5911. Power to borrow

A. Should any sheriff and chief executive officer of any law enforcement district borrow money under the terms and conditions of R.S. 13:5523(D), such borrowing shall constitute the incurrence of a special obligation debt by and of the sheriff and by and of the law enforcement district to which the sheriff's general fund is pledged.

B. In addition to all other powers authorized by the Constitution and laws of Louisiana, each law enforcement district hereinafter in this Section referred to as a "district", is empowered to issue general obligation bonds or certificates of indebtedness in accordance with the provisions of Subsection C of this Section and revenue bonds in accordance with the provisions of Subsection D of this Section, and sales tax revenue bonds in accordance with the provisions of Subpart F of Part III of Chapter 4 of Subtitle II of Title 39 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950.

C.(1) Any district may borrow money and issue certificates of indebtedness or bonds, secured by the full faith and credit of the sheriff and/or district, for a term not to exceed thirty years, in order to acquire, construct, reconstruct, renovate, improve, replace, maintain, repair, extend, enlarge, lease, as lessee or lessor, purchase or equip such immovable or movable property which may be of use or benefit to the district or to the applicable sheriff. Such certificates of indebtedness or bonds may only be issued after the issuance thereof is approved by a majority of the taxpayers in the district in accordance with R.S. 39:561.

(2)(a) The certificates of indebtedness or bonds shall be negotiable instruments and shall be solely the obligations of the district and not the state of Louisiana. The certificates of indebtedness or bonds and the income thereof shall be exempt from all taxation in the state of Louisiana.

(b) The certificates of indebtedness or bonds shall be authorized and issued by order of the ex officio chief executive officer of the district and shall be of such series, bear such date or dates, mature at such time or times, bear interest at such rate or rates, be in such denominations, be in such form, either coupon or fully registered without coupon, carry such registration and exchangeability privileges, be payable in such medium of payment and at such place or places, be subject to such terms of redemption and be entitled to such priorities on income, revenues, and receipts of the district as such order may provide.

(c) The certificates of indebtedness or bonds shall be signed by such officer or officers as the district shall determine, such signature or signatures being authorized to be by facsimile, and coupon bonds shall have attached thereto interest coupons bearing the facsimile signature or signatures of such officer or officers as the district shall designate.

(d) Any such certificates of indebtedness or bonds may be issued and delivered notwithstanding that one or more of the officers signing, by manual or facsimile signature, such certificates of indebtedness or bonds or the officer or officers whose facsimile signature or signatures may be on the coupons shall have ceased to be such officer or officers at the time such certificates of indebtedness or bonds shall actually have been delivered.

(e) The certificates of indebtedness or bonds shall be issued and sold by the district in accordance with Chapter 13 of Title 39 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, as amended. Pending preparation of the definitive certificates of indebtedness or bonds, the district may issue interim bonds or certificates which shall be exchanged for such definitive certificates of indebtedness or bonds.

(3) In no event shall the certificates of indebtedness or bonds constitute a claim against any property or revenue of the district not specifically pledged for payment of such certificates of indebtedness or bonds.

(4) Any order or orders authorizing any certificates of indebtedness or bonds or any issue of certificates of indebtedness or bonds may additionally contain covenants, agreements, and provisions as are judged advisable or necessary by the district for the security of the holders of the certificates of indebtedness or bonds, including sinking funds and reserves for the payment of principal and interest.

(5) The district shall have the power out of any funds available therefrom to purchase its certificates of indebtedness or bonds. The district may hold, pledge, cancel, or resell such certificates of indebtedness or bonds, subject to and in accordance with agreements with bondholders.

D.(1)(a) Each district is authorized to issue revenue bonds in order to obtain funds to acquire, construct, reconstruct, renovate, improve, replace, maintain, repair, extend, enlarge, lease, as lessee or lessor, purchase, or equip such immovable or movable property, including but not limited to jails, administration or office buildings, maintenance, storage or utility facilities, or any other facility, building, structure, equipment, or furnishings which may be of use or benefit to the district or to the applicable sheriff.

(b) The bonds shall be negotiable instruments and shall be solely the obligations of the district and not the state of Louisiana. The bonds and the income thereof shall be exempt from all taxation in the state of Louisiana. The bonds shall be payable out of the income, revenues, and receipts derived or to be derived from the facilities financed by the district. In addition to the pledge of income, revenues, or receipts to secure the bonds, the district may further secure their payment by a mortgage upon any land and facilities owned, leased, or operated by the district, including all or any part of the existing facilities owned, leased, or operated by the district, and/or any facility acquired by the district with the proceeds of the bonds.

(c) The bonds shall be authorized and issued by order of the ex officio chief executive officer of the district and shall be of such series, bear such date or dates, mature at such time or times, not to exceed thirty years from issuance, bear interest at such rate or rates, be in such denominations, be in such form, either coupon or fully registered without coupon, carry such registration and exchangeability privileges, be payable in such medium of payment and at such place or places, be subject to such terms of redemption, and be entitled to such priorities on the income, revenues, and receipts of the district as such order may provide.

(d) The bonds shall be signed by such officer or officers as the district shall determine, such signature or signatures being authorized to be by facsimile, and coupon bonds shall have attached thereto interest coupons bearing the facsimile signature or signatures of such officer or officers as the district shall designate. Any such bonds may be issued and delivered notwithstanding that one or more of the officers signing such bonds, by manual or facsimile signature, or the officer or officers whose facsimile signature or signatures may be on the coupons shall have ceased to be such officer or officers at the time such bonds shall actually have been delivered.

(e) The bonds or notes shall be issued and sold by the district in accordance with Chapter 13 of Title 39 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, as amended. Pending preparation of the definitive bonds, the district may issue interim bonds or certificates which shall be exchanged for such definitive bonds.

(2) The district may in any order authorizing the issuance of bonds enter into such covenants with the future holder or holders of the bonds as to the lease or rental of the facilities, the disposition of such fees and revenues, the issuance of future bonds and the creation of future liens, and encumbrances against such facilities and the revenues therefrom, the carrying of insurance on the facilities, the keeping of books and records, and other pertinent matters, as may be deemed proper by the district to assure the marketability of the bonds, provided such covenants are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Section.

(3) As hereinbefore provided, such bonds may in the discretion of the district be additionally secured by a mortgage on all or any part of the land and facilities then owned, leased, or operated by the district or thereafter acquired, owned, leased, or operated by the district and the district shall have full discretion to make such provisions as it may see fit for the making and enforcement of such mortgage and the provisions to be therein contained.

(4) In no event shall the bonds constitute a claim against any property or revenue of the district not specifically pledged or mortgaged for payment of such bonds.

(5) Any order or orders authorizing any bonds or any issue of bonds may additionally contain covenants, agreements, and provisions as are judged advisable or necessary by the district for the security of the holders of the bonds, including sinking funds and reserves for payment of principal and interest.

(6) The district shall have power out of any funds available therefrom to purchase its bonds. The district may hold, pledge, cancel, or resell such bonds, subject to and in accordance with agreements with bondholders.

E.(1) Bonds issued by the district under this Section are hereby made securities in which all public officers and public bodies of the state and its political subdivisions, all insurance companies and associations and other persons carrying on an insurance business, trust companies, banks, bankers, banking associations, savings banks and savings associations, including savings and loan associations, investment companies, executors, administrators, trustees and other fiduciaries, pension, profit-sharing, retirement funds, and other persons carrying on a banking business, and all other persons whatsoever, who are now or may hereafter be, authorized to invest in bonds or other obligations of the state, may properly and legally invest funds, including capital in their control or belonging to them.

(2) Such bonds are hereby made securities which may properly and legally be deposited with and received by any state or municipal or public officer or any agency or political subdivision of the state for any purpose for which the deposit of bonds or other obligations of the state is now or may hereafter be authorized by law.

F. The district is authorized to provide for the issuance of bonds for the purpose of refunding any bonds of the district then outstanding, including the payment of any redemption premium thereon and any interest accrued or to accrue to the earliest or subsequent date of redemption, purchase, or maturity of such bonds, and, if deemed advisable by the district, for the additional purpose of paying all or any part of the cost of constructing and acquiring additions, improvements, extensions, or enlargements of a project or any portion thereof, all in accordance with Chapters 14, 14-A, or 15 of Title 39 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, as amended.

G. Notwithstanding any provision hereof, any bonds or other obligations authorized to be issued under this Section shall, before the delivery thereof, be approved by the State Bond Commission.

H.(1) All bonds issued shall be incontestable for any cause whatsoever after thirty days from the date of publication of the order authorizing their issuance; provided, however, it shall not be necessary to publish the exhibits to such orders if the same are available for public inspection and such fact is indicated in the newspaper publication.

(2) For a period of thirty days from the date of publication of the order authorizing the issuance of any bonds hereunder, which publication shall be made in a newspaper which is the official journal of the district or the parish in which the district is located, any person or persons in interest shall have the right to contest the legality of the order and the legality of the bond issue for any cause, after which time no one shall have any cause or right of action to contest the legality of said order or of the bonds authorized thereby for any cause whatsoever.

(3) If no suit, action, or proceedings are begun contesting the validity of the bonds within the thirty days herein prescribed, the authority to issue the bonds and to provide for the payment thereof, the legality thereof and of all of the provisions of the order authorizing the issuance of the bonds shall be conclusively presumed, and no court shall have authority to inquire into such matters.

(4) Such bonds shall have all the qualities of negotiable instruments under the laws of this state governing negotiable instruments.

I. Nothing contained in this Section is or shall be construed as a restriction or a limitation upon any powers which any district might otherwise have under any laws of this state, and this Section is cumulative of any such powers. This Section does and shall be construed, to provide a complete, additional, and alternative method for the doing of the things authorized hereby and shall be regarded as supplemental and additional to powers conferred by other laws. Neither the making of contracts nor the issuance of bonds, notes, certificates of indebtedness, refunding bonds, or other obligations pursuant to the provisions of this Section need comply with the requirements of any other state law applicable to the making of the contracts and the issuance of the bonds, notes, certificates of indebtedness, or other obligations for the construction and acquisition of any project undertaken pursuant to this Section, except as herein provided. No proceedings, notice, or approval shall be required for the issuance of any bonds, notes, certificates of deposit, or other obligations, or any instrument as security therefor, except as provided in this Section.

J. Notwithstanding R.S. 13:5908, any funds received by the sheriff or district that are pledged to the repayment of any bonds, notes, certificates of indebtedness, or other obligations issued in accordance with this Section may be collected and disbursed in accordance with the documents pursuant to which said bonds, notes, certificates of indebtedness, or other obligations were issued.

K. All districts shall be subject to the Public Contracts Law, Public Records Law, Public Meetings Law, Code of Ethics, and the Bond Validation Procedures Law.

Acts 1989, No. 277, §1, eff. June 27, 1989; Acts 1990, No. 959, §1, eff. July 25, 1990; Redesignated from R.S. 33:9010 pursuant to Acts 2011, No. 248, §3.