§1712. Ad valorem tax bonds

A. The St. Bernard Port, Harbor and Terminal District is also authorized, with the approval of the State Bond Commission, to incur debt and issue negotiable bonds secured by and payable from ad valorem taxation for any of the works of public improvement described in this Chapter, provided, however, that the amount of such bonds outstanding at any one time shall not exceed in the aggregate ten per centum of the assessed valuation of the taxable property within the district to be ascertained by the last assessment for parish purposes previous to the sale of such bonds, and the board of commissioners shall impose and collect annually in excess of all other taxes, a tax on all the property subject to taxation by the district sufficient in amount to pay principal and interest on such bonds falling due each year. Such bonds shall be authorized by a resolution of the governing authority of the district and shall be of such series, bear such date or dates, mature at such time or times not exceeding forty years from their respective dates, bear interest at such rate or rates as the board may establish in accordance with the general laws of this state payable annually or semiannually, be in such denominations, be in such form, either coupon or fully registered without coupons, carry such registration and exchangeability privilege, be payable in such medium of payment and at such place or places, and be subject to such terms of redemption at par as such resolution or resolutions may provide. The bonds shall be signed by such officers as the district shall determine, and coupon bonds shall have attached thereto interest coupons bearing the facsimile signatures of such officer or officers of the district as it shall designate. Any such bonds may be issued and delivered, notwithstanding that one or more of the officers signing such bonds or the officer or officers, whose facsimile signature or signatures may be upon the coupons, shall have ceased to be such officer or officers at the time such bonds shall actually have been delivered.

B. Said bonds shall be sold for not less than par and accrued interest to the highest bidder at a public sale after advertisement by the district at least once a week for not less than three consecutive weeks, the first publication being not less than twenty-one days prior to the date fixed for the reception of bids, in a newspaper of general circulation within the district and in a financial newspaper or journal published in New Orleans, New York or Chicago, reserving to the district the right to reject any and all bids and to readvertise for bids. If the bonds are not sold pursuant to the advertisement, they may be sold by the board by private sale, within sixty days after the date advertised for the reception of sealed bids, but no private sale shall be made at a price less than the highest bid which shall have been received. If not so sold, the bonds shall be readvertised in the manner herein prescribed.

C. No proceedings in respect to the issuance of any such bonds shall be necessary except such as are contemplated by this Section and no further or other legislation shall be required to effectuate the same.

D. For a period of thirty days from the date of publication of the resolution authorizing the issuance of bonds hereunder, any persons in interest shall have the right to contest the legality of the resolution 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 resolution or of the bonds authorized thereby for any cause whatsoever. If no suit, action or proceeding is begun contesting the validity of the bond issue within the thirty days herein prescribed, the authority to issue the bonds and to levy the necessary tax for the payment thereof, the legality thereof and of all of the provisions of the resolution authorizing the issuance of the bonds shall be conclusively presumed, and no court shall have authority to inquire into such matters.

Added by Acts 1960, No. 228, §1. Amended by Acts 1964, No. 404, §2; Acts 1982, No. 839, §1.