Public Utilities Code, 1951

The board must seek voter authorization to issue bonds from the tax proceeds, and the ballot materials must disclose the tax details, the bond cap, and the spending plan.

The authority may issue voter-approved bonds at any time, and those bonds must be paid only from the tax proceeds. The bonds are called “limited tax bonds.”

The authority may issue limited tax bonds only through a resolution approved by a majority of its members.

A resolution authorizing limited tax bonds must state specified bond details, including purpose, estimated costs, principal amount, maturity limit, interest rate limit, denomination, and bond form. It may also include other matters allowed by law.

The bonds must bear interest at a rate not above the maximum allowed by law, with interest paid semiannually.

The authority may set bond call and redemption terms in the bond resolution, but a bond cannot be called or redeemed before maturity unless it says so on its face or in a recital.

The bonds’ principal and interest must be paid in lawful U.S. money at the county auditor-controller-treasurer’s office and at any other places the authority designates.

The bonds must be dated, numbered, signed by the named officers, and bear the authority’s seal. Interest coupons, if any, must be signed by the county auditor-controller-treasurer.

The authority may sell its bonds by resolution and may sell them below par, including by negotiated or public sale.

Bonds may be delivered anywhere inside or outside the state, and the purchase price may be paid in cash or bank credits.

The authority must direct bond-sale interest, premiums, and remaining proceeds into specified funds and uses, and any bonds repurchased under the section must be canceled immediately.

The authority may issue, sell, exchange, or refund bonds to retire existing bonds, and may set the terms and timing itself.

The authority may borrow money and issue bond anticipation notes, but the notes must stay within the authorized bond amount and must mature within five years of the original notes’ delivery.

Bonds issued under this chapter are legal investments for specified funds and may be used as security in the same situations as certain other district bonds.

Challenges to the ordinance or related bonds must be filed within six months after the election approving the ordinance.

Unincorporated territory in a district may be excluded if the district is not operating any utility, the territory is not inside an incorporated city, and it is not benefited by the district or its continued inclusion.

If an annexed territory is already served by the city for electricity or water, the city council or other city governing body may propose an agreement to exclude that territory from the district.

An exclusion agreement must be authorized and executed, and the exclusion proceedings must follow the same method used for annexing a public agency to a district under Chapter 9.

If an exclusion order is granted, the board and the city’s governing body must agree by contract on how the city will pay its share of taxes and bonded indebtedness for the excluded territory.

An exclusion order does not wipe out existing taxes, assessments, or bond-related tax obligations on the excluded property.

Before rates or charges are fixed or changed, the district’s general manager must file a written report and recommendation with the board, and the board must hold a public hearing within 40 days. Notice of the hearing time and place must be published in the district before the hearing.

A district or interested person may sue to test the validity of district rates or charges, and any court action challenging those rates or charges must be started within 120 days of the ordinance, resolution, or motion taking effect.

The general manager must file a written report and recommendation before certain rate or charge changes, and the board must hold a hearing on it within the stated time frame.

When a general manager of an electricity district files a report and recommendation under Section 14403, it must include specified financial, sales, expense, capital expenditure, and revenue-allocation information.

At the hearing under Section 14403, the board must allow public testimony from people who gave 10 days' advance written notice and must consider written public reports and recommendations about alternatives to the proposed rate changes.

“Oath” includes affirmation.

This division may be cited as the Tuolumne County Road Facilities Improvement Act.

The Legislature states that alternative financing methods are needed for transportation facilities in Tuolumne County and supports allowing county voters to create the Tuolumne County Traffic Authority.

This section defines “bonds” to include indebtedness and securities of any kind, such as bonds, notes, bond anticipation notes, and commercial paper.

“Authority” means the Tuolumne County Traffic Authority created under this division in Tuolumne County.

“City” means the City of Sonora in Tuolumne County.

For this section, “County” means the unincorporated area of Tuolumne County.

“County of Tuolumne” and “Tuolumne County” mean the county’s entire territory, including incorporated cities inside the county.

“Electors” means the electors of the city for a city ordinance, or the electors of the county for a county ordinance.

“Ordinance” means a city or county ordinance adopted under Section 150201 that imposes a retail transactions and use tax.

This section defines “Tuolumne County LTC” and says any successor body taking over LTC’s functions gets LTC’s powers and duties under this division.

“Voters” is defined as the voters of a city for a city ordinance, or the voters of a county for a county ordinance.

This section creates the Tuolumne County Traffic Authority in Tuolumne County.

The appointed Commissioners of the Tuolumne County LTC must serve as the Tuolumne County Traffic Authority.

The authority must limit hiring to staff necessary for its responsibilities, try to use existing Tuolumne County LTC staff and committees as much as possible, and reimburse the Tuolumne County LTC for staff services it provides.

A privately owned public utility providing water service must provide facilities for present and future service needs in its service area.

The authority’s organization and procedures manual is the default set of rules for its proceedings and administration, unless this division says otherwise.

The authority must hold meetings at least once a year, as often as it decides is necessary, and conduct all meetings under the referenced Government Code chapter.

The authority must express its acts by motion, resolution, or ordinance.

The authority may spend funds only on necessary and reasonable staff support, audit, administrative expenses, and contract services, and it may not spend more than 5% of those funds in any year on staff salaries and benefits.

The authority must adopt an annual budget, arrange for at least annual postaudits by a certified public accountant, and do all necessary things to carry out this division.

The authority must publish notice of the public hearing for the annual budget at least 15 days before the hearing, and the proposed annual budget must be available for public inspection at least 15 days before the hearing.

The authority may adopt a seal and change it whenever it wants.

The authority may sue and be sued in competent courts, unless another law provides otherwise.

Claims for money or damages against the authority are governed by the specified Government Code rules, except where those rules or other expressly applicable laws say otherwise.

The authority may make contracts, enter stipulations, hire labor, and do other acts needed to exercise its powers under this division.

The authority may provide and maintain a security force, including by contract or other means, to enforce its regulations and protect its projects and the public peace, health, and safety.

This section defines several terms used in the chapter.

This section says new funds provided by the chapter should supplement existing local revenues used for public transportation, and government agencies are encouraged to keep their current local funding commitment.

The authority may impose a retail transactions and use tax ordinance only if a majority of voting electors approve it at special consolidated elections.

A retail transactions and use tax ordinance must state the tax’s nature, rate or maximum rate, and how the revenue will be used. It may also set a tax term of up to 15 years.

The county must conduct the elections called under Section 150201, and those elections must be handled the same way county elections are handled by law.