A regional water and sewer district may charge, alter, and collect rentals or other charges, including penalties for late payment, for the use or services of any water resource project or any benefit conferred thereby and contract in the manner provided by this section with one or more persons, one or more political subdivisions, or any combination thereof, desiring the use or services thereof, and fix the terms, conditions, rentals, or other charges, including penalties for late payment, for such use or services. Such rentals or other charges shall not be subject to supervision or regulation by any authority, commission, board, bureau, or agency of the state or any political subdivision, and such contract may provide for acquisition by such political subdivision of all or any part of such water resource project for such consideration payable over the period of the contract or otherwise as the district in its sole discretion determines to be appropriate, but subject to the provisions of any resolution authorizing the issuance of water resource revenue bonds or notes or water resource revenue refunding bonds of the district or any trust agreement securing the same. Any political subdivision, which has power to construct, operate, and maintain waste water facilities or water management facilities may enter into a contract or lease with the district whereby the use or services of any water resource project of the district will be made available to such political subdivision and pay for such use or services such rentals or other charges as may be agreed to by the district and such political subdivision.

Any political subdivision, person, or combination thereof may cooperate with the district in the acquisition or construction of a water resource project and shall enter into such agreements with the district as are necessary, with a view to effective cooperative action and safeguarding of the respective interests of the parties thereto, which agreements shall provide for such contributions by the parties thereto in such proportion as may be agreed upon and such other terms as may be mutually satisfactory to the parties, including without limitation the authorization of the construction of the project by one of the parties acting as agent for all of the parties and the ownership and control of the project by the district or one or more of the other parties or any combination thereof to the extent determined necessary or appropriate. Any political subdivision may provide the funds for the payment of such contribution as is required under such agreements by the levy of taxes, assessments, or rentals and other charges for the use of the system of which the water resource project is a part or to which it is connected, if otherwise authorized by the laws governing such political subdivision in the construction of the type of water resource project provided for in the agreements, and may pay the proceeds from the collection of such taxes, assessments, rentals, or other charges to the district pursuant to such agreements; or the political subdivision may issue bonds or notes, if authorized by such laws, in anticipation of the collection of such taxes, assessments, rentals or other charges and may pay the proceeds of such bonds or notes to the district pursuant to such agreements. In addition, any political subdivision may provide the funds for the payment of such contribution by the appropriation of money or, if otherwise authorized by law, by the issuance of bonds or notes and may pay such appropriated money or the proceeds of such bonds or notes to the district pursuant to such agreements. The agreement by the political subdivision to provide such contribution, whether from appropriated money or from the proceeds of such taxes, assessments, rentals, or other charges, or such bonds or notes, or any combination thereof, is not subject to Chapter 133. of the Revised Code. The proceeds from the collection of such taxes or assessments, and any interest earned thereon, shall be paid into a special fund immediately upon the collection thereof by the political subdivision for the purpose of providing such contribution at the times required under such agreements.

When the contribution of any political subdivision is to be made over a period of time from the proceeds of the collection of special assessments, the interest accrued and to accrue before the first installment of such assessments is collected, which is payable by such political subdivision on such contribution under the terms of such an agreement, shall be treated as part of the cost of the improvement for which such assessments are levied, and that portion of such assessments as is collected in installments shall bear interest at the same rate as such political subdivision is obligated to pay on such contribution under the terms and provisions of such agreement and for the same period of time as the contribution is to be made under such agreement. If the assessment or any installment thereof is not paid when due, it shall bear interest until the payment thereof at the same rate as such contribution and the county auditor shall annually place on the tax list and duplicate the interest applicable to such assessment and the penalty and any additional interest thereon as otherwise authorized by law.

Any political subdivision, pursuant to a favorable vote of the electors in an election held before or after November 19, 1971, for the purpose of issuing bonds to provide funds to acquire, construct, or equip, or provide real estate and interests in real estate for, a waste water facility or a water management facility, whether or not the political subdivision, at the time of such election, had the authority to pay the proceeds from such bonds or notes issued in anticipation thereof to a regional water and sewer district as provided in this section, may issue such bonds or notes in anticipation of the issuance thereof and pay the proceeds thereof to the district in accordance with its agreement with the district; provided, that the legislative authority of the political subdivision determines that the water resource project to be acquired or constructed by the district in cooperation with such political subdivision will serve the same public purpose and meet substantially the same public need as the facility otherwise proposed to be acquired or constructed by the political subdivision with the proceeds of such bonds or notes.

Amended by 133rd General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 166, §101.01, eff. 10/17/2019.

Effective Date: 09-21-1982 .