2023 Montana Code Annotated › Title 7. Local Government › Chapter 7. Debt Management › Part 41. General Provisions Related to Municipalities › 7-7-4104. Incurrence of certain general obligations

7-7-4104. Incurrence of certain general obligations.
(1) A municipality may enter into or incur an obligation for any public or governmental purpose, including the purposes set forth in 7-7-4101. An obligation may be in the form of bonded indebtedness, note indebtedness, a lease, a lease-purchase agreement, an installment purchase contract, or other legal form. An obligation constitutes a general obligation of the municipality but is not secured by a pledge of the taxing power of the municipality.
(2) The obligation provided for in subsection (1) may be authorized by a resolution adopted by the governing body of the municipality. The resolution must establish the terms, covenants, and conditions of the obligation. It is not necessary to submit the question of incurring the obligation to the electors of the municipality. The obligation may be incurred or sold at public or private sale, on terms and at prices that the governing body determines to be advantageous. The obligation does not constitute indebtedness for the purpose of statutory debt limitations.
(3) An obligation may be issued only if:
(a) the principal amount of the obligation does not exceed 10% of the general fund budget of the municipality in each of the 2 immediately preceding fiscal years;
(b) at the time the obligation is to be incurred, the debt services in the current or in any future fiscal year on the obligation and any other outstanding obligation issued pursuant to this section do not exceed 2% of the revenue deposited in the general fund of the municipality in each of the 2 immediately preceding fiscal years; and
(c) the term of the obligation does not exceed 20 years.
(4) The obligation must clearly state that it is not secured by a pledge of the municipality's taxing power but that it is payable solely from revenue in the general fund in any fiscal year that is pledged to the payment of the obligation.
(5) In order to secure the payment of principal of or interest on an obligation and related charges, the municipality may grant a first lien on all revenue collected and deposited in the general fund subject to or on a parity with any prior pledges. The municipality may establish other funds and accounts for obligations issued under this section that may be necessary to provide for the priority and segregation of revenue deposited in the general fund and pledged to the payment of obligations. For purposes of this section, related charges include the fees and expenses of registrars and paying agents and the amounts, if any, that must be rebated to the federal government under 26 U.S.C. 148.
(6) All obligations incurred under this section are legal and valid obligations of the municipality issuing the obligations, and the general credit of the municipality is irrevocably pledged for the prompt payment of both the principal of and interest on the obligations as they become due. However, the municipality may not be obligated to levy taxes for the payment of any obligation or interest on the obligation.
(7) The powers conferred on a municipality by this section are in addition to and are supplemental to the powers conferred by any other general, special, or local law. To the extent that the provisions of this section are inconsistent with provisions of any other general, special, or local law, the provisions of this section are controlling.
History: En. Sec. 4, Ch. 139, L. 1999; amd. Sec. 10, Ch. 453, L. 2005.