(1) Each county, municipality, school district, or other taxing district in this state, herein sometimes called a unit, may issue, pursuant to a resolution or resolutions of the governing body thereof (meaning thereby the board or body vested with the power of determining the amount of tax levies required for taxing the taxable property of such unit for the purpose of such unit) and either with or without the approval of such bonds at an election, except as may be required by the Constitution of the state, bonds of such unit for the purpose of refunding any or all bonds, coupons, or interest on any such bonds, now or hereafter outstanding, or any other funded debt, all of which are herein referred to as bonds, whether such unit created such indebtedness or has assumed, or may become liable therefor.

(2) In the event any such unit having outstanding bonded or other funded debt shall have been, or shall hereafter be, abolished otherwise than by annexation to, or consolidation with, a like political subdivision or district, the territory within such unit shall be deemed to be a taxing district within the meaning of this chapter, and the board of county commissioners of the county wherein such abolished unit, or any part thereof, is situate, or the governmental authority having power or authority to levy a tax for the retirement of the indebtedness to be refunded, shall be the governing body thereof, and may issue refunding bonds in behalf of such unit for the purpose of refunding its outstanding indebtedness, and may provide for the annual levy of ad valorem taxes without limitation as to rate or amount fully sufficient to pay principal of and interest on such refunding bonds, the tax to be levied on the same property which would have been taxable for payment of the outstanding indebtedness had such taxing unit not been abolished or dissolved.

(3) If the territory of such abolished unit lies in more than one county, the territory in each county shall be deemed to be a taxing district in such county and the board of county commissioners of each county within which any of such territory is situate, or the governmental authority having power or authority to levy a tax for the retirement of the indebtedness to be refunded, may issue refunding bonds as herein provided for the purpose of refunding such portion of the indebtedness of the abolished unit as shall be chargeable against the territory in said county; provided, however, that nothing in this section shall affect or limit the powers of the State Board of Administration in the issuance of refunding bonds under s. 16, Art. IX of the State Constitution of 1885 as adopted by the 1968 revised constitution or under s. 9, Art. XII of said revision.

History.—s. 2, ch. 15772, 1931; CGL 1936 Supp. 2383(2); s. 1, ch. 22001, 1943; s. 18, ch. 69-216; s. 10, ch. 2004-305.