reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
MA Gen L ch 44 § 8b (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 44 - Municipal Finance|Section 8b - Cities and Towns; Right to Replace Lost Funds Deposited; Liquidation or Insolvency of Depository Bank

Section 8B. The treasurer of any city, if authorized by vote of the city council with the approval of the mayor, and the treasurer of any town if authorized by vote of the town may borrow from time to time such sums as may be necessary to replace funds of such city or town which have been lost or are unavailable as a result of the insolvency, failure or liquidation of a bank or other depository wherein its funds have been deposited. Any such treasurer may issue notes of such city or town payable in or within not more than eight years. Indebtedness incurred by a city or town under the provisions of this section shall be outside its limit of indebtedness as fixed by this chapter.  Any sums received by any such city or town paid out of the assets of said bank by way of dividend or distribution to depositors shall first be applied to the repayment of any notes issued under the authority of this section which remain unpaid at the time such sums are received, and any balance remaining shall be paid into the treasury of such city or town.
MA Gen L ch 44 § 8c (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 44 - Municipal Finance|Section 8c - Cities and Towns; Acquisition of Land for Conservation or Recreation Purposes in Anticipation of State or Federal Reimbursement of Expense; Temporary Debt Outside Limit Authorized

Section 8C. A city or town which has appropriated money for the acquisition of land, to be expended together with a sum or sums of money allotted by the commissioner of natural resources under section eleven of chapter one hundred and thirty-two A or by the United States or by both, may, if said city or town is required primarily to pay a portion of the expense of acquiring such land which is to be reimbursed by the commonwealth or the United States or both, incur debt outside its debt limit in the amount of such reimbursable expense and may issue notes therefor which shall be payable in or within two years from their dates; provided, that prior to the issuance of such notes such reimbursement has been agreed upon by the commonwealth or the United States or by both; and provided, further, that the proceeds of such reimbursement shall be applied to the payment of the notes without further appropriation, notwithstanding the provisions of section fifty-three. The provisions of chapter seventy-four of the acts of nineteen hundred and forty-five shall not apply to borrowing under this section.
MA Gen L ch 44 § 9 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 44 - Municipal Finance|Section 9 - Districts; Right to Borrow Money; Purposes; Amount

Section 9. Districts may by a two thirds vote authorize the incurring of debt for purposes prescribed, and payable within the periods specified, by sections seven and eight, so far as they are authorized by law to make expenditures for the purposes mentioned therein, and the amounts of debt so incurred shall be limited to the amounts prescribed for towns by sections eight and ten; provided that debt of any such district incurred for any purpose mentioned in clause (3), (4), (4A), (5), or (6) of section eight under any special act heretofore or hereafter enacted shall not be included in the amount of debt which is subject to the limit prescribed by said section eight for debt for such purposes. The limitation contained in the first paragraph of section seven shall be applicable to loans authorized by districts for purposes provided under section seven.  In the fiscal year of organization of a newly established district, whether established under general or special law, the borrowing capacity for purposes specified in section seven and limited in amount by section ten, and for purposes specified in section eight, shall be based on an amount determined by applying to the equalized valuation of the town in which the district is located the same ratio which the assessors' valuation of the taxable property of the district for that year bears to the assessors' valuation of the taxable property of the town for the same year. In the case of a newly established district which is located in two or more towns, said borrowing capacity shall be based on the total amount determined by applying to the equalized valuation of each of the towns in which any part of the district is located the same ratio which the assessors' valuation of the taxable property of the district in the respective towns for that year bears to the assessors' valuation of the taxable property of said town for the same year.
MA Gen L ch 44 § 10 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 44 - Municipal Finance|Section 10 - Debt Limit

Section 10. Except as otherwise provided by law, a city or town shall not authorize indebtedness to an amount exceeding 5 per cent of the equalized valuation of the city or town. A city or town may authorize indebtedness in excess of 5 per cent but not in excess of 10 per cent, of the aforesaid equalized valuation; provided, however, that the amount of indebtedness so authorized shall be subject to the approval of the members of the municipal finance oversight board, which approval may be given either before or after such authorization.  In determining the debt limit for Boston hereunder the provisions of chapter ninety-three of the acts of eighteen hundred and ninety-one and of section one of chapter one hundred and ninety-one of the acts of nineteen hundred and three shall apply.  The debt limit for a district shall be based on an amount determined by applying to the equalized valuation of the town the same ratio which the assessors' valuation of the taxable property of the district for the preceding fiscal year bears to the assessors' valuation of the taxable property of the town for the preceding fiscal year. In the case of the district which is located in two or more towns, said debt limit shall be based on the total amount determined by applying to the equalized valuation of each of the towns in which any part of the district is located the same ratio which the assessors' valuation of the taxable property of the district in the respective towns for the preceding fiscal year bears to the assessors' valuation of the taxable property of said town for the preceding fiscal year.  All authorized debts, except those expressly authorized by law to be incurred outside the debt limit, shall be reckoned in determining the limit of indebtedness under this section.
MA Gen L ch 44 § 11 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 44 - Municipal Finance|Section 11 - Debt Retirement; Provision for Earlier Payment

Section 11. Cities, towns and districts may pay or provide for the payment of any debt at an earlier period than is required by this chapter or may appropriate money for the purchase and cancellation of outstanding indebtedness, and shall not refund any debt except as provided in section seventeen; and cities, towns and districts may, for the purpose of reducing the whole debt for the redemption of which sinking funds have been established by cities or towns prior to May twenty-eighth, nineteen hundred and thirteen, and by districts prior to March twentieth, nineteen hundred and fifteen, or of reducing the amount to be raised by taxation for such funds, add to any such sinking fund the excess of any appropriation over the amount required for the purpose thereof, or add to such funds any sums derived from taxation or from other sources not required by law to be expended otherwise.
MA Gen L ch 44 § 14 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 44 - Municipal Finance|Section 14 - Liability for Lawful Debts

Section 14. Nothing in this chapter shall exempt a city or town from its liability to pay debts contracted for purposes for which it may lawfully expend money.
MA Gen L ch 44 § 15 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 44 - Municipal Finance|Section 15 - Liability for Legal Debts Contracted Under Special Acts

Section 15. Cities, towns and districts authorized by special acts to incur debt shall not be exempt from liability to pay debts contracted for the purposes for which they may lawfully expend money under such acts, notwithstanding that the amount of the annual payment and the period of the loan may not have been specified by the vote authorizing the debt to be incurred, and the officers authorized to issue bonds or notes therefor may issue and same, subject to the provisions and limitations of such acts, provided that in all other respects the requirements of law shall have been complied with; and the provisions of this section shall apply to any bonds or notes of a city, town or district issued under the authority of any special act heretofore or hereafter enacted.
MA Gen L ch 44 § 16a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 44 - Municipal Finance|Section 16a - Facsimile Signature

Section 16A. Any officer authorized to sign bonds or notes of a city, town or district may execute such bonds or notes or cause them to be executed by a facsimile signature in lieu of his manual signature, provided that at least one signature required or permitted to be placed thereon shall be manually subscribed. In the case of registered bonds issued in exchange for or in replacement of prior bonds, no manually subscribed signature of an authorized officer shall be required if the signature of an authorized signer of a bank, trust company, or other banking or financial institution acting as trustee, authenticating agent, transfer agent or similar agent is manually subscribed. The facsimile signature of an authorized officer on a bond or note shall have the same legal effect as his manual signature.
MA Gen L ch 44 § 16b (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 44 - Municipal Finance|Section 16b - Facsimile Seal; Validity

Section 16B. The engraved or printed facsimile of a city, town or district seal on a bond, note or certificate of indebtedness of such municipality shall have the same legal effect as though such seal were impressed thereon.
MA Gen L ch 44 § 18 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 44 - Municipal Finance|Section 18 - Discount of Notes

Section 18. Notes issued under section four, five, five A, five B, six, six A or seventeen may be sold at such discount as the treasurer or other officer authorized to sell the same may, with the approval of the officer or officers whose counter-signature is required on said notes, deem proper, the discount to be treated as interest paid in advance.
MA Gen L ch 44 § 19 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 44 - Municipal Finance|Section 19 - Issuance of Notes Payable on Demand Forbidden; Procedure for Repaying Debts; Time for Making Final Payment

Section 19. Cities, towns and districts shall not issue any notes payable on demand, but shall provide for the payment of all debts, except temporary loans incurred under sections 4, 6, 6A, 8C, and 17 or under section 3 of chapter 74 of the acts of 1945, by annual payments that will extinguish the same at maturity, and so that the first of these annual payments on account of any serial loan shall be made not later than the end of the next complete fiscal year commencing after the date of the bonds or notes issued for the serial loan, and shall be arranged so that for each issue the amounts payable in the several years for principal and interest combined shall be as nearly equal as practicable in the opinion of the officers authorized to issue the bonds or notes or, in the alternative, in accordance with a schedule providing a more rapid amortization of principal; and these annual amounts, together with the interest on all debts, shall, without further vote, be assessed until the debt is extinguished.  Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the final payment on account of any bonds issued by a city, town or district may be made not later than the end of the fiscal year in which such bonds would otherwise have been payable under this chapter, or any other statutory authority under which the issuance of any such bonds was otherwise authorized.
MA Gen L ch 44 § 20a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 44 - Municipal Finance|Section 20a - Advances Made in Anticipation of Proceeds

Section 20A. Cities, towns and districts that have duly authorized the issuance of serial bonds, notes or certificates of indebtedness may make expenditures for the purposes for which such serial bonds, notes or certificates of indebtedness were authorized from any available revenue funds in advance and in anticipation of such issuance. Cities, towns and districts that have been allotted a grant by the commonwealth or the federal government may make expenditures for the purposes of such grant from any available revenue funds in advance and in anticipation of receipt of reimbursements from such grant, to such maximum amount and subject to such limitations as may be provided in the rules, regulations and guidelines promulgated by the director. For purposes of this section, available revenue funds shall not include revenue cash the use of which is restricted to purposes other than current maintenance expenses. Such advances shall be made by the treasurer with the approval of the officer or officers authorized to issue the bonds or notes. Prior to making any such advance, the treasurer shall determine that the issuance of such serial bonds, notes or certificates of indebtedness has been duly authorized in accordance with law. Such cities, towns or districts shall reimburse the account or accounts from which the advance was made from the proceeds of bonds, notes, including notes in anticipation of the serial loan, or certificates of indebtedness issued during the fiscal year in which the advance was made. Advances made under authority of this section shall be subject to rules, regulations or guidelines promulgated by the director.
MA Gen L ch 44 § 21 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 44 - Municipal Finance|Section 21 - Call and Redemption Prior to Maturity

Section 21. An officer of a city, town or district authorized to issue bonds or notes may provide that the bonds or notes of any issue may be called and redeemed, in whole or in part, prior to their maturity dates, at such price and under such terms and conditions as said officer may determine. No such bonds or notes shall be called and redeemed before their maturity dates unless funds, sufficient to pay the principal thereof, any redemption premium thereon and all interest accrued to the date fixed for redemption have been appropriated by the city, town or district and are then available; or, unless the city council of the city, the board of selectmen of the town or the prudential committee, if any, otherwise the commissioners of the district, shall have provided for issuance of refunding bonds or notes as provided in section twenty-one A.
MA Gen L ch 44 § 21c (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 44 - Municipal Finance|Section 21c - Lease Purchase Financing Agreements

Section 21C. A city, town or district may by a two-thirds vote of its legislative body, if recommended by its chief executive officer, authorize any department of the city, town or district to enter into a lease purchase financing agreement to acquire equipment or improve a capital asset that may be financed by the issuance of debt under this chapter or otherwise authorized by law, for a term up to the useful life of the property to be procured as determined by its chief executive officer. Any lease purchase financing agreement under this section shall be considered a binding obligation of the city, town or district as if it were a debt authorization under this chapter, provided an appropriation available for the purpose has been made in the first fiscal year in which the lease becomes effective. Any city, town or district that follows the procedure in this section with respect to entering into a lease purchase financing agreement for the procurement of any personal property for the governmental entity, may refinance the purchase with the issuance of refunding bonds under section 21A to pay the balance of the lease obligation.
MA Gen L ch 44 § 22 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 44 - Municipal Finance|Section 22 - Rate of Interest

Section 22. All bonds, notes and other securities issued by cities or towns shall bear such rate or rates of interest as may be fixed by the city or town treasurer, with the approval of the mayor or selectmen, notwithstanding any general or special provision of law enacted prior to April twenty-second, nineteen hundred and twenty.
MA Gen L ch 44 § 22a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 44 - Municipal Finance|Section 22a - Insurance, Letters or Lines of Credit for Bonds or Notes; Trust Agreements

Section 22A. Bonds or notes issued by a city may be secured in whole or in part by insurance or by letters or lines of credit or other credit facilities upon a two-thirds vote of the city council with the approval of the mayor. Any such insurance, letter or line of credit or credit facility may provide for reimbursement to be made over such period of time, not to exceed two years beyond the maturity date of the bonds or notes so secured, as the treasurer, with the approval of the mayor, shall deem proper and may provide for reimbursement to be made, and any such notes or bonds may be issued, at such rate or rates of interest as the treasurer, with the approval of the mayor, shall deem proper, including rates variable from time to time as determined by such index, banker's loan rate or other method as may be specified in such agreement or such bond or note. Notwithstanding any contrary provision of law, bonds or notes secured as described in this section may, in the discretion of the treasurer, with the approval of the mayor, be subject to prepayment at the option of the holder thereof at such times and prices and under such circumstances as the treasurer and the mayor shall specify. For the purpose of securing bonds and notes a city, acting by its treasurer, upon a two-thirds vote of all the city council, with the approval of the mayor, may enter into a trust agreement between the city and a corporate trustee which shall be a bank or trust company doing business in the commonwealth. Any such trust agreement, and any remarketing or other agreements necessary or incidental to the issuance of such bonds or notes, shall be in such form as may be deemed proper by the treasurer of such city, with the approval of its mayor, and shall be executed by its treasurer and countersigned by its mayor. It shall be lawful for any bank or trust company doing business in the commonwealth to act as a depository or trustee under any such trust agreement and to furnish such indemnification and pledge such securities as may be required by any such city. Any trustee under a trust agreement established pursuant to this section may bring suit upon the bonds or notes and may, either at law or equity, by suit, action, mandamus or other proceedings for legal or equitable relief, enforce all rights under the laws of the commonwealth or granted hereunder or under such trust agreement, and may enforce and compel the performance of all duties required under such trust agreement to be performed by the city or by any officer thereof. In a city with a plan D or plan E form of government, the powers granted in this section to the mayor shall be exercised by the city manager. The provisions of this section shall not apply to towns. All expenses incurred in carrying out the provisions of this section may be treated by the city as a cost of issuance.
MA Gen L ch 44 § 22b (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 44 - Municipal Finance|Section 22b - Bonds and Notes; Official Statements; Advertising; Collateral Tax Consequences to Social Security Recipients

Section 22B. Any official statement prepared in connection with the sale of any bonds or notes of a city, town or district and all advertising of such bonds and notes, the interest on which is excludable from gross income for federal income tax purposes under the provisions of section 103 of the Internal Revenue Code (26 USC 103), shall include a reference to the collateral tax consequences which may result under section 86 of said Code (26 USC 86) to the holders of such bonds or notes who are recipients of social security benefits.