(1) The board of supervisors and municipal governing authorities, by order spread on their minutes, may transfer any balance remaining in a special fund in the treasury of the county or municipality, as the case may be, to the general fund to be used for general purposes for the succeeding fiscal year if the purpose for which the special fund was created has been fully carried out. Taxes imposed for the succeeding fiscal year for county or municipal general purposes shall be reduced by the amount of such balance transferred from the special fund to the general fund.

(2)

(a) When there is any surplus monies less than Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2,500.00) in any special fund in the treasury of any county, road district, school district or other taxing district, or any municipality, and the board of supervisors, acting for the county or any road district, school district or other taxing district thereof, or the governing authorities of the municipality, as the case may be, shall desire to transfer all or part of the surplus monies in the special fund to some other fund of said county, road district, school district or other taxing district, or said municipality, as the case may be, such board of supervisors or the governing authorities of the municipality, as the case may be, shall cause an order to be entered on their minutes declaring their intention so to do, which said order shall show the name of the special fund, the amount of surplus monies to be transferred, and the name of the fund to which it is to be transferred, and same shall be transferred accordingly.

(b) Whenever the surplus monies in any special fund shall be Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2,500.00) or more, the board of supervisors or the governing authorities of the municipality, as the case may be, desiring to transfer such surplus monies, shall cause notice of same to be published in some newspaper published in the county, district or municipality, as the case may be, for three (3) consecutive weeks or, if there be no newspaper so published, then in some newspaper having a general circulation in the county, district or municipality. Thereafter, the monies shall be transferred as stated in the order not less than thirty (30) days after the first publication in a newspaper as above stated, unless within said thirty (30) days, a petition against the proposed transfer, signed by twenty percent (20%) or fifteen hundred (1500), whichever is less, of the qualified electors residing in the county, district or municipality, as the case may be, shall be filed with the governing body. In the event such petition is filed, an election on the question of such transfer shall be called and held as herein provided. Notice of the election and manner of conducting it shall be the same as other elections conducted within counties or municipalities, as the case may be. The ballot shall have printed thereon the amount of surplus monies sought to be transferred, the purpose for which such monies were authorized to be used and a statement that a surplus exists in such fund, and the purpose for which such monies are sought to be used pursuant to their transfer. If a majority of the qualified electors voting in the election vote in favor of the transfer of surplus monies, then such monies shall be transferred. If a majority of the qualified electors voting in the election do not vote in favor of such transfer of surplus monies, then such monies shall not be transferred. Provided, however, that if the question of transferring the balance remaining in a special fund, the purpose for which such fund was created having been fully carried out, fails at an election held on same, then such monies shall be invested as authorized by law and shall be calculated in the budget for the county or municipality, as the case may be, to be used for general purposes for the succeeding fiscal year. Taxes imposed for the succeeding fiscal year for county or municipal general purposes shall be reduced by the amount of such monies in such special fund.

(3)

(a) When the balance remaining in any fund as set forth in subsections (1) and (2) represents a part of the proceeds of bonds sold for such county, district or municipality, and any part of said bonds or interest thereon remains unpaid, then such balance shall be transferred to the bond and interest fund to retire said bonds and interest due thereon, regardless of the amount thereof, without the necessity of publishing the order transferring same.

(b) Surplus monies in a bond and interest fund shall not be transferred unless there remains to the credit of such fund a sufficient balance to fully retire such bonds and interest thereon, including all redeemable bond coupons and the tax levy required to be made to pay principal of and interest on such bonds as they become due has been discontinued by the governing authorities of the county or municipality, as the case may be. Surplus monies in a bond and interest fund may be transferred to the general fund in accordance with subsection (1) of this section or to other funds in accordance with subsection (2)(b) of this section, regardless of the amount of the balance to be transferred.