An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Fund Main Street and Downtown Economic Development Projects
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 1163
Committee: Appropriations and Financial Affairs
Sponsors: GOODALL, DeCHANT, DUTREMBLE, JACKSON, KATZ, LACHOWICZ, MAZUREK, PATRICK, BECK

Legislative Document 
No. 1163 
S.P. 400 
In Senate, March 26, 2013 
An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Fund Main 
Street and Downtown Economic Development Projects 
Reference to the Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
DAREK M. GRANT 
Secretary of the Senate 
Presented by Senator GOODALL of Sagadahoc. 
Cosponsored by Representative DeCHANT of Bath and 
Senators: DUTREMBLE of York, JACKSON of Aroostook, KATZ of Kennebec, 
LACHOWICZ of Kennebec, MAZUREK of Knox, PATRICK of Oxford, Representative: 
BECK of Waterville. 
Preamble.  Two thirds of both Houses of the Legislature deeming it necessary in 
accordance with the Constitution of Maine, Article IX, Section 14 to authorize the 
issuance of bonds on behalf of the State of Maine to provide funds as described in this 
Act, 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
PART A 
Sec. A-1.  Authorization of bonds.  The Treasurer of State is authorized, under 
the direction of the Governor, to issue bonds in the name and on behalf of the State in an 
amount not exceeding $20,000,000 for the purposes described in section 5 of this Part.  
The bonds are a pledge of the full faith and credit of the State.  The bonds may not run for 
a period longer than 10 years from the date of the original issue of the bonds. 
Sec. A-2.  Records of bonds issued; Treasurer of State. The Treasurer of 
State shall ensure that an account of each bond is kept showing the number of the bond, 
the name of the successful bidder to whom sold, the amount received for the bond, the 
date of sale and the date when payable. 
Sec. A-3.  Sale; how negotiated; proceeds appropriated.  The Treasurer of 
State may negotiate the sale of the bonds by direction of the Governor, but no bond may 
be loaned, pledged or hypothecated on behalf of the State.  The proceeds of the sale of the 
bonds, which must be held by the Treasurer of State and paid by the Treasurer of State 
upon warrants drawn by the State Controller, are appropriated solely for the purposes set 
forth in this Part.  Any unencumbered balances remaining at the completion of the project 
in this Part lapse to the Office of the Treasurer of State to be used for the retirement of 
general obligation bonds. 
Sec. A-4.  Interest and debt retirement.  The Treasurer of State shall pay 
interest due or accruing on any bonds issued under this Part and all sums coming due for 
payment of bonds at maturity. 
Sec. A-5.  Disbursement of bond proceeds from General Fund bond issue.  
The proceeds of the sale of the bonds authorized under this Part must be expended as 
designated in the following schedule under the direction and supervision of the agencies 
and entities set forth in this section. 
Provides funds for main street and downtown economic development projects, with 
$12,000,000 to be awarded to municipalities that are not automatic recipients of 
federal Community Development Block Grant funds and $8,000,000 to be awarded 
through open competitive grants for all municipalities. 
ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY 
DEVELOPMENT, DEPARTMENT OF 
Maine Downtown Center 
Sec. A-6.  Contingent upon ratification of bond issue.  Sections 1 to 5 do not 
become effective unless the people of the State ratify the issuance of the bonds as set 
forth in this Part. 
Sec. A-7.  Appropriation balances at year-end.  At the end of each fiscal year, 
all unencumbered appropriation balances representing state money carry forward.  Bond 
proceeds that have not been expended within 10 years after the date of the sale of the 
bonds lapse to the Office of the Treasurer of State to be used for the retirement of general 
obligation bonds. 
Sec. A-8.  Bonds authorized but not issued.  Any bonds authorized but not 
issued within 5 years of ratification of this Part are deauthorized and may not be issued, 
except that the Legislature may, within 2 years after the expiration of that 5-year period, 
extend the period for issuing any remaining unissued bonds for an additional amount of 
time not to exceed 5 years. 
Sec. A-9.  Referendum for ratification; submission at election; form of 
question; effective date.  This Part must be submitted to the legal voters of the State at 
a statewide election held in the month of November following passage of this Act.  The 
municipal officers of this State shall notify the inhabitants of their respective cities, towns 
and plantations to meet, in the manner prescribed by law for holding a statewide election, 
to vote on the acceptance or rejection of this Part by voting on the following question: 
"Do you favor a $20,000,000 bond issue to provide funds for main street 
and downtown economic development projects, with $12,000,000 to be 
awarded to municipalities that are not automatic recipients of federal 
Community Development Block Grant funds and $8,000,000 to be 
awarded through open competitive grants for all municipalities?" 
The legal voters of each city, town and plantation shall vote by ballot on this question 
and designate their choice by a cross or check mark placed within a corresponding square 
below the word "Yes" or "No."  The ballots must be received, sorted, counted and 
declared in open ward, town and plantation meetings and returns made to the Secretary of 
State in the same manner as votes for members of the Legislature.  The Governor shall 
review the returns.  If a majority of the legal votes are cast in favor of this Part, the 
Governor shall proclaim the result without delay and this Part becomes effective 30 days 
after the date of the proclamation. 
The Secretary of State shall prepare and furnish to each city, town and plantation all 
ballots, returns and copies of this Part necessary to carry out the purposes of this 
referendum. 
PART B 
Sec. B-1.  Program developed.  The Department of Economic and Community 
Development shall award grants to municipalities for main street and downtown 
Total 
$20,000,000
economic development projects from the proceeds of any bonds issued pursuant to Part 
A. The department shall receive and evaluate applications for and award grants, taking 
into account the extent to which the proposed developments fulfill the purposes of the 
Maine Downtown Center under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, section 13073-B.  
Sixty percent of the funds from the bonds issued under Part A must be awarded to 
municipalities that apply and that are not automatic recipients of federal Community 
Development Block Grant funds, and the remaining 40% of such funds must be awarded 
through competitive grants for all municipalities. 
SUMMARY 
The funds provided by this bond issue, in the amount of $20,000,000, will be used to 
provide funds for main street and downtown economic development projects, with 
$12,000,000 to be awarded to municipalities that are not automatic recipients of federal 
Community Development Block Grant funds and $8,000,000 to be awarded through open 
competitive grants for all municipalities.