A. Any bonds issued hereunder and at any time outstanding may at any time and from time to time be refunded by a municipality by the issuance of its refunding bonds in such amount as the governing body may determine to refund the principal of the bonds so to be refunded, all unpaid accrued and unaccrued interest thereon to the normal maturity date of such bonds or to selected prior redemption dates thereof, any redemption premiums, any commission and all estimated costs incidental to the issuance of such bonds and to such refunding as may be determined by the governing body. The principal amount of any such refunding bonds may be equal to, less than or greater than the principal amount of the bonds to be so refunded. Any such refunding may be effected whether the bonds to be refunded shall have then matured or shall thereafter mature, either by sale of the refunding bonds and the application of the proceeds thereof for the payment of the bonds to be refunded thereby, or by exchange of the refunding bonds for the bonds to be refunded thereby; provided, that the holders of any bonds so to be refunded shall not be compelled without their consent to surrender their bonds for payment or exchange prior to the date on which they are payable or, if they are called for redemption, prior to the date on which they are by their terms subject to redemption. Any refunding bonds issued under the authority of Sections 3-32-1 through 3-32-16 NMSA 1978 shall be payable solely from the revenues out of which other bonds issued under Sections 3-32-1 through 3-32-16 NMSA 1978 may be payable or solely from those amounts derived from an escrow as herein provided, including amounts derived from the investment of refunding bond proceeds and other legally available amounts also as herein provided, or from any combination of the foregoing sources, and shall be subject to the provisions contained in Section 3-32-7 NMSA 1978 and may be secured in accordance with the provisions of Section 3-32-8 NMSA 1978.

B. Proceeds of refunding bonds shall either be applied immediately to the retirement of the bonds being refunded or be placed in escrow in a commercial bank or trust company which possesses and is exercising trust powers. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in Section 3-32-11 NMSA 1978 or in any other statute, such escrowed proceeds may be invested in short-term securities, long-term securities or both. Except to the extent inconsistent with the express terms of Sections 3-32-1 through 3-32-16 NMSA 1978, the ordinance and other proceedings under which the bonds to be so refunded were issued, including any mortgage or trust indenture given to secure the same, shall govern the establishment of any escrow in connection therewith and the investment or reinvestment of any escrowed proceeds.

History: 1953 Comp., § 14-31-7, enacted by Laws 1965, ch. 300; 1977, ch. 335, § 4.

Severability clauses. — Laws 1977, ch. 335, § 5, provided for the severability of the act if any part or application thereof is held invalid.