159B-15. Issuance of bonds.

(a) Each municipality and joint agency is hereby authorized to issue at one time or from time to time its bonds for the purpose of paying all or any part of the cost of any of the purposes herein authorized. The principal of, premium, if any, and the interest on bonds issued to pay the cost of a project shall be payable solely from revenues. Bonds that are not issued to pay the cost of a project shall be payable from revenues, from property pledged as security for the bonds, or from both.

The bonds of each issue shall bear interest at such rate or rates as may be determined or provided for by the Local Government Commission of North Carolina with the approval of the issuer. The bonds of each issue shall be dated and shall mature in such amounts and at such time or times, not exceeding 50 years from their respective date or dates, as may be determined by the governing board of the issuer, and may be made redeemable before maturity at such price or prices and under such terms and conditions as may be fixed by the governing board of the issuer prior to the issuance of the bonds. The governing board of the issuer shall determine the form and the manner of execution of the bonds, including any interest coupons to be attached thereto, and shall fix the denomination or denominations of the bonds and the place or places of payment of principal and interest, which may be at any bank or trust company within or without the State. In case any officer whose signature or a facsimile of whose signature shall appear on any bonds or coupons shall cease to be such officer before the delivery of such bond, such signature or such facsimile shall nevertheless be valid and sufficient for all purposes the same as if he had remained in office until such delivery. The governing board of the issuer may also provide for the authentication of the bonds by a trustee or fiscal agent appointed by the issuer, or by an authenticating agent of any such trustee or fiscal agent. The bonds may be issued in coupon or in fully registered form, or both, as the governing board of the issuer may determine, and provisions may be made for the registration of any coupon bonds as to principal alone and also as to both principal and interest, and for the reconversion into coupon bonds of any bonds registered as to both principal and interest, and for the interchange of registered and coupon bonds. At the election of a joint agency, any bonds issued and sold in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter may be purchased or otherwise acquired by the joint agency and held by it in lieu of cancellation, and subsequently resold.

(a1) Notwithstanding anything in this Chapter to the contrary, the Local Government Commission of North Carolina and the issuer (i) may authorize officers or employees of either or both thereof to fix principal amounts, maturity dates, interest rates or methods of fixing interest rates, interest payment dates, denominations, redemption rights of the issuer or holder, places of payment of principal and interest, and purchase prices of any bonds, to sell and deliver any bonds in whole or in part at one time or from time to time, and to fix other matters and procedures necessary to complete the transactions authorized, all subject to such limitations as may be prescribed by the Local Government Commission with the approval of the issuer, (ii) may approve insurance contracts, agreements for lines of credit, letters of credit, commitments to purchase bonds and any other transactions to provide security to assure, timely payment of bonds, (iii) may employ one or more persons or firms to assist in the sale of the bonds and appoint one or more banks, trust companies or any dealer in bonds, within or without the State, as depository for safekeeping and as agent for the delivery and payment of the bonds, and (iv) may provide for the payment of fees and expenses in connection with the foregoing either from the proceeds of the bonds or from other available funds.

(b) The proceeds of the bonds of each issue shall be used solely for the purposes for which such bonds have been issued, and shall be disbursed in such manner and under such restrictions, if any, as the governing board of the issuer may provide in the resolution authorizing the issuance of such bonds or in any trust agreement securing the same. The municipality or joint agency may issue interim receipts or temporary bonds, with or without coupons, exchangeable for definitive bonds when such bonds shall have been executed and are available for delivery. The municipality or joint agency may also provide for the replacement of any bonds which shall have become mutilated or shall have been destroyed or lost.

(c) Bonds may be issued under the provisions of this Chapter without obtaining, except as otherwise expressly provided in G.S. 159B-24 of this Chapter, the consent of the State or of any political subdivision, or of any agency, commission or instrumentality of either thereof, and without any other approvals, proceedings or the happening of any conditions or things other than those approvals, proceedings, conditions or things which are specifically required by this Chapter and the provisions of the resolution authorizing the issuance of such bonds or the trust agreement securing the same.