18A:58-33.4. Approval of additional aid and proposal authorizing bonds by state treasurer and local finance board; bonds entitled to benefits of this act

(a) A copy of said resolution of the State Board of Education determining a school district to be entitled to additional State school building aid, together with a copy of said ordinance or proposal bearing the endorsement of the Commissioner of Education, shall be submitted to the State Treasurer for his consideration. If the State Treasurer is satisfied after investigation either, (a) that the payment of the debt service (interest and principal) on the bonds proposed to be authorized by such ordinance or proposal will not cause the amount of additional State school building aid to be paid pursuant to this act to exceed the sum herein provided (with respect to such school district), or (b) that the payment of the debt service (interest and principal) in each year on the bonds authorized by such ordinance or proposal will not exceed the allocation with respect to such school district, he shall endorse his approval to that effect upon the copy of such ordinance or proposal.

(b) A copy of any such ordinance or proposal authorizing bonds for school purposes and bearing said endorsements of the Commissioner of Education and State Treasurer, shall be submitted to the local finance board for its consideration, and the local finance board in considering such copy of any ordinance or proposal submitted to it and before endorsing its consent thereon may require the governing body of any municipality or board of education of any school district submitting any such ordinance or proposal to adopt resolutions restricting or limiting any future proceedings therein or other matters or things deemed by the local finance board to affect any estimate made or to be made by it in accordance with subsection (c) hereof, and every such resolution so adopted shall constitute a valid and binding obligation of such municipality or school district, as the case may be, running to and enforceable by, and releasable by, the local finance board.

(c) Within 60 days after such submission to it, the local finance board shall cause its consent to be endorsed upon such copy of any ordinance or proposal authorizing such bonds, if it shall be satisfied, and shall record by resolution, its estimates that the amounts to be expended for the school district projects or educational facilities to be financed pursuant to such ordinance or proposal are not unreasonable or exorbitant; and that issuance of the bonds, proposed to be authorized by such ordinance or proposal, will not materially impair the credit of any municipality comprised within the district or substantially reduce its ability, during the ensuing 10 years, to pay punctually the principal and interest of its debts and supply essential public improvements and services, but if the local finance board is not so satisfied it shall cause its disapproval to be endorsed on such copy within said period of 60 days.

(d) Any bonds entitled to the benefits of the provisions of this act, shall be deductible in determining the net school debt of any school district for any purpose or computation under section 18A:24-19 of the New Jersey Statutes, and the amount of all such bonds shall be deducted from the gross debt of any municipality constituting the whole or any part of such school district for any of the purposes of section 40A:2-44 of the New Jersey Statutes and shall be a deduction within the meaning and for the purpose of clause (g) of said section to any extent that such bonds are not deductible under clause (a) or clause (b) of said section, and shall at all times constitute a deduction from gross debt on any annual or supplemental debt statement of such municipality.

(e) All of such bonds when issued shall contain a recital to the effect that they are issued pursuant to Title 18A, Education, of the New Jersey Statutes and are entitled to the benefits of the provisions of this act. Any bonds entitled to the benefits of the provisions of this act shall be authorized and issued in the manner provided for in Title 18A, Education, of the New Jersey Statutes, and notwithstanding the provisions of section 18A:24-19 of the New Jersey Statutes. Compliance with the provisions of this act by or on behalf of any school district or municipality shall make it unnecessary to comply with any of the provisions of sections 18A:24-20 through 18A:24-27 of the New Jersey Statutes, and such sections shall not be applicable with respect to authorization or issuance of any bonds entitled to the benefits of the provisions of this act. Bonds entitled to the benefits of the provisions of this act shall mature not later than 30 years from their date and without regard to any limitations as to maturities or amounts of annual installments for such bonds as provided in Title 18A, Education, of the New Jersey Statutes.

(f) The Commissioner of Education is hereby authorized and directed to establish and maintain records pertaining to each issue of bonds entitled to the benefits of this act and setting forth as to such bonds the amount to be payable in each year on account of debt service (interest and principal) on such bonds, and such records as aforesaid shall be conclusive as to the amount so payable on account of such debt service, and the Commissioner of Education is hereby authorized and empowered to certify for any purpose such amounts as so payable on account of debt service with respect to such bonds. A school district or municipality authorized to issue such bonds may make application to the Commissioner of Education and the local finance board setting forth request for adjustment as to amount payable in any year on account of debt service with respect to such bonds, and the Commissioner of Education and the local finance board are each hereby authorized and empowered to grant such request if it shall be found that such request is reasonable and in the financial interest of such school district or municipality, and that the requested adjustment as to the amount payable in any year for debt service (principal and interest) on such bonds does not exceed the amount of the allocation then applicable as to such year with respect to such school district or municipality. The Commissioner of Education shall cause such records to be adjusted and shall certify by reference to such records the adjusted debt service with respect to such bonds after giving effect to such request, and such bonds shall thereafter be eligible with respect to payments hereunder for debt service (principal and interest) in accordance with such certification. Upon issuance of any bonds benefiting under this act the chief financial officer of the school district or municipality issuing such bonds shall, within 30 days after issuance of such bonds, certify to the Commissioner of Education the exact amount payable on account of debt service (interest and principal) on such bonds in each year and the name and address of the paying agent or paying agents for such bonds or notes, and upon receipt of such certification, the Commissioner of Education shall thereupon cause such records to be adjusted with respect to such bonds giving effect to any increase or decrease resulting in any year as to payments on account of interest on or principal of such bonds as shown by said certification of said chief financial officer. Any certification by the Commissioner of Education with respect to bonds to the effect that such bonds are entitled to the benefits of the provisions of this act or as to amount payable in any year for debt service (principal and interest) on such bonds shall be fully conclusive as to such bonds from and after the time of issuance of such bonds, notwithstanding any irregularity, omission or failure as to compliance with any of the provisions of this act with respect to such bonds, provided that such bonds contain a recital to the effect that they are entitled to the benefits of the provisions of this act, and all persons shall be forever estopped from denying that such bonds are entitled to the benefits of the provisions of this act.

(g) Any school district or municipality which has authorized bonds and which are entitled to the benefits of this act, may issue temporary notes or loan bonds (hereinafter called "obligations" ) in anticipation of the issuance of permanent bonds to the extent permitted or provided for by or pursuant to the provisions of Title 18A, Education, of the New Jersey Statutes and any other laws applicable, in principal amount not in excess of the principal amount of the permanent bonds and subject to such additional terms or conditions with respect to such obligations as may be fixed or required by the Commissioner of Education or the local finance board under authority of this act. The amount and details of any such obligations issued and the interest payable thereon and the name and address of the paying agent or paying agents for such bonds or notes shall be certified by the chief financial officer of such school district or municipality to the Commissioner of Education. The whole or any part of the allocation then applicable to any school district pursuant to this act is hereby authorized to be paid in any year in which such obligations are outstanding and notwithstanding that permanent bonds have not been issued, pursuant to such terms and conditions as may be determined by the Commissioner of Education, for use and application of the amount so paid to the payment of interest on such obligations and so much of the principal thereof in any such year as shall be determined by said commissioner. The determination of the commissioner hereunder provided for shall be conclusive as to such matters, and receipt of the amount of such allocation so paid shall be used and applied only for the payment of the interest on the principal of such obligations in accordance with such determination by said commissioner.

(h) No bonds or notes entitled to the benefits of this act shall be issued unless there is designated therefor a paying agent or paying agents, at least one of which is a bank or trust company authorized to do business in this State. All amounts of additional State school building aid to be paid under the provisions of this act with respect to any school district for debt service (principal and interest) on bonds or notes entitled to the benefits of this act shall, on or before the date for such payment of interest and principal, be paid on behalf of the school district or municipality issuing such bonds or notes to the paying agent or paying agents for such bonds or notes in amount with respect to such date as reflects the amount of principal or interest, respectively, payable as to such date by reason of such additional State school building aid hereunder payable with respect to such school district. Amounts so paid to such paying agent or paying agents shall be applied to the payment of debt service (principal and interest) on such bonds or notes and for no other purpose.

(i) Pending application to the purposes for which bonds or notes entitled to the benefits of this act are issued, the proceeds of such bonds or notes shall be invested or deposited subject to regulations prescribed by the State Treasurer. On January 10 in each year the custodian of school moneys of a Type II school district or the chief financial officer of the municipality of a Type I school district, as the case may be, shall certify and pay to the State Treasurer the amount of earnings received during the preceding year from the investment or deposit of the proceeds from the sale of such bonds or notes, which amounts shall be held by him and applied only to the payment of principal and interest on such bonds or notes.

L.1968, c. 177, s. 3, eff. July 19, 1968. Amended by L.1969, c. 136, s. 3, eff. July 3, 1969; L.1970, c. 125, s. 2, eff. June 30, 1970; L.1971, c. 46, s. 1, eff. March 12, 1971.