Oregon Statutes 305.586 – Legislative findings; policy on remedies for misspent bond proceeds
(1) As used in this section:
Terms Used In Oregon Statutes 305.586
- Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. Source: U.S. Courts
- local government: means all cities, counties and local service districts located in this state, and all administrative subdivisions of those cities, counties and local service districts. See Oregon Statutes 174.116
- Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
(a) ‘Capital construction’ has the meaning given that term in ORS § 310.140.
(b) ‘Capital costs’ has the meaning given that term in ORS § 310.140.
(c) ‘Capital improvements’ has the meaning given that term in ORS § 310.140.
(2) The Legislative Assembly finds that, when general obligation bonds are issued by a government unit to finance capital costs or to finance the costs of capital construction or capital improvements, subjecting the taxes imposed to pay the principal and interest on that bonded indebtedness to the limits of Article XI, section 11b (1), of the Oregon Constitution, reduces the credit quality of the bonds, injures bondholders and increases the cost of borrowing for all local governments in Oregon. The Legislative Assembly also finds that it is in the best interests of the State of Oregon and local governments in Oregon to ensure that, if a local government body expends proceeds from the bonds for other than capital costs, capital construction or capital improvements, whichever is an authorized use of proceeds of the bonds, the holders of the bonds, who are innocent with regard to the expenditure, will not suffer impairment of their security and interest in the bonds as a result.
(3) It is the policy of the State of Oregon and a matter of statewide concern that, notwithstanding ORS § 305.587 (1) and 305.589 (8), if in a proceeding commenced under ORS § 305.583 or 305.589, the Oregon Tax Court finds that the proceeds of general obligation bonds issued for capital construction or capital improvements as defined in Article XI, section 11 (13), of the Oregon Constitution, or general obligation bonds issued for capital costs, as defined in Article XI, section 11L, of the Oregon Constitution, have been expended for purposes other than capital costs or the costs of capital construction or capital improvements, the court shall endeavor, to the fullest extent practicable and consistent with equitable principles, to fashion a remedy that does not impair the security or value of the bonds to the bondholders and does not prejudice the ability of the local government body to satisfy its obligations under the bonds.
(4) In addition, the court shall fashion any remedy in a manner that takes into account the financial capacity and practical alternatives available to the local government body, and shall ensure that the remedy is proportional to, and restricted to correcting the amount of, any unlawful expenditure of bond proceeds. To the fullest extent possible, the court shall avoid any remedy that either invalidates, in whole or in part, the bonds or taxes levied or to be levied for payment of the bonds, or that makes any amount of the bonds for which the proceeds lawfully were expended subject to the limits of Article XI, section 11b (1), of the Oregon Constitution. [1997 c.171 § 5; 2013 c.491 § 7]