Chapter 739 | Trustees Of Sinking Fund

Section 739.01 | Payment of municipal indebtedness - sinking fund.

• Effective: October 1, 1953
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 100th General Assembly

Municipal corporations having outstanding bonds or funded debts shall, through their legislative authorities, and in addition to all other taxes authorized by law, levy and collect annually a tax upon all the real and personal property in the municipal corporation sufficient to pay the interest and provide a sinking fund for the extinguishment of all bonds issued and funded debts incurred prior to August 17, 1921, and the taxes so raised shall be used for no other purpose.

Section 739.02 | Trustees of the sinking fund.

• Effective: March 20, 2019
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 291 - 132nd General Assembly

In each municipal corporation there shall be a board, designated as the "trustees of the sinking fund," which shall have the management and control of the sinking fund established under section 739.01 of the Revised Code.

In cities, such board shall consist of four citizens of such city, who shall be electors thereof, well known for their intelligence and integrity, to be appointed by the mayor for one, two, three, and four years respectively, and their successors shall be appointed for four years from the expiration of their respective terms. Such appointments shall be so distributed that not more than two members of the board belong the same political party. Any vacancy by death, resignation, removal from the city, or otherwise of any member shall be filled by appointment by the mayor for the unexpired portion of each term.

In villages, the mayor, clerk, and chairperson of the finance committee of the legislative authority shall be the members of such board.

Such members shall serve without compensation. Except as otherwise provided in the municipal charter or in section 3.061 of the Revised Code, such members shall give such bond as the legislative authority requires. A surety company authorized to sign such bonds shall be sufficient security, and the costs thereof, together with all other incidental and necessary expenses of such board, shall be paid by it from funds under its control.

Section 739.03 | Organization of board of trustees of sinking fund.

• Effective: October 1, 1953
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 100th General Assembly

The members of the board of trustees of the sinking fund of a municipal corporation, immediately after their appointment and qualification, shall elect one of their number as president and another as vice-president, who, in the absence or disability of the president, shall perform his duties and exercise his powers, and such secretary, clerks, or employees as the legislative authority thereof provides by an ordinance which shall fix their duties, bonds, and compensation. Where no secretary or clerks are authorized, the city auditor of the city or clerk of the village shall act as secretary of the board.

The board shall make its own rules, its meetings shall be open to the public, and all questions relating to the purchase or sale of securities, payment of bonds, interest, or judgments, or involving the payment or appropriation of money, shall be decided by a yea and nay vote with the name of each member voting recorded on the journal. No question shall be decided unless approved by a majority of the whole board.

Section 739.04 | Duty of board with respect to bonded indebtedness of municipal corporation.

• Effective: October 1, 1953
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 100th General Assembly

The city auditor or clerk of a village shall, upon demand of the board of trustees of the sinking fund, report to it a full and detailed statement of the outstanding indebtedness of the municipal corporation for bonds issued, and the board shall take charge of and keep a complete record, and report to the legislative authority of the municipal corporation, at least once a year, a full detailed statement of such indebtedness, with the statement of the board's investments and the general financial business of the municipal corporation which statement shall be published in any annual report of the municipal corporation.

Section 739.05 | Auditor's or clerk's report to board.

• Effective: October 1, 1953
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 100th General Assembly

The city auditor or clerk of the village shall, upon demand of the board of trustees of the sinking fund, report to the board the balances belonging to such municipal corporation, to the credit of the sinking fund, interest accounts, or for any bonds issued for or by the municipal corporation, and all officers or persons having such balances shall immediately pay them over to the board, which shall deposit them in such place as a majority of such board selects.

Section 739.06 | Report of board to legislative authority.

• Effective: October 1, 1953
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 100th General Assembly

On or before the first Monday in May of each year, the board of trustees of the sinking fund shall certify to the legislative authority of the municipal corporation the amount of tax necessary to provide a sinking fund for the future payment of bonds issued by the municipal corporation prior to August 17, 1921, for the payment of interest on such bonded indebtedness, the rents due on perpetual leaseholds of the municipal corporation not payable from a special fund, and the expenses incident to the management of the sinking fund. The legislative authority shall place the several amounts so certified in the tax ordinance before and in preference to any other item, and for the full amount certified. Such taxes shall be in addition to all other taxes authorized by law.

Section 739.07 | Investment of moneys.

• Effective: January 1, 1997
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 538 - 121st General Assembly

The board of trustees of the sinking fund shall invest all moneys received by it in bonds of the United States, of this state, or of any municipal corporation, school, township, or county of this state, and shall hold in reserve only such sums as may be needed for effecting the terms of Title VII of the Revised Code. If the law or the instrument creating a trust for such moneys expressly permits investment in direct obligations of the United States or an agency thereof, unless expressly prohibited by the instrument, such moneys also may be invested in no front end load money market mutual funds consisting exclusively of obligations of the United States or an agency thereof and in repurchase agreements, including those issued by the fiduciary itself, secured by obligations of the United States or an agency thereof; and in collective investment funds established in accordance with section 1111.14 of the Revised Code and consisting exclusively of any such securities, notwithstanding division (A)(1)(c) of that section. All interest received by the board shall be invested in the same manner.

Section 739.08 | Payment of obligations by board.

• Effective: October 1, 1953
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 100th General Assembly

The board of trustees of the sinking fund shall have charge of and provide for the payment of all bonds issued by the municipal corporation and the interest maturing thereon. Such board shall receive from the city auditor or the clerk of the village all taxes, assessments, and moneys collected for such purpose, and shall invest and disburse them in the manner provided by law. For the satisfaction of any obligations under its supervision, the board may sell or use any of the securities or moneys in its possession.

Section 739.09 | Deposit and withdrawal of funds.

• Effective: October 1, 1953
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 100th General Assembly

All securities or evidence of debt held by the board of trustees of the sinking fund for the municipal corporation shall be deposited with the treasurer thereof, or with a safety deposit company within the municipal corporation, or, if none exists, then in a place of safety to be indicated or furnished by the legislative authority thereof, and when so deposited they shall be withdrawn only upon the application of three members and in the presence of at least two members of the city board, or upon the application and in the presence of at least two members of the village board.

Money shall be drawn by check only, which shall be signed by the president and at least two members of the board, and attested by the secretary or clerk.

Section 739.10 | Powers and duties - investigation.

• Effective: October 1, 1953
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 100th General Assembly

The board of trustees of the sinking fund may investigate all transactions involving or affecting the sinking fund of any branch or department of the municipal government, and shall have such other powers and perform such other duties, not inconsistent with the nature of the duties prescribed for the board by law, as are conferred or required by the legislative authority thereof.

Section 739.11 | Records and accounts.

• Effective: October 1, 1953
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 100th General Assembly

The board of trustees of the sinking fund shall keep a complete record of its transactions, a complete record of the funded debt of the municipal corporation specifying the dates, purposes, amounts, numbers, maturities, rates, maturities of interest installments thereof, where payable, and an account exhibiting the amount held in the sinking fund for the payment thereof.

Section 739.12 | Board of tax commissioners.

• Effective: October 1, 1953
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 100th General Assembly

In each city, the trustees of the sinking fund shall be a board of tax commissioners, but as members of such board they shall receive no compensation for their services.

The members of such board, as such, shall take an oath to support the constitution of the United States and of this state and to faithfully and honestly perform their duties as such tax commissioners.

The board shall organize by appointing one of its members president and another vice-president. A majority of the members thereof, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

Section 739.13 | Record of proceedings - clerk.

• Effective: October 1, 1953
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 100th General Assembly

The board of tax commissioners shall keep a complete record of all its proceedings. The city auditor shall be clerk of the board, but shall receive no additional salary or compensation for such services. He shall enter in a book, to be provided by the city for that purpose, a full and detailed statement of all proceedings of the board, which shall be signed by the president or vice-president and by such clerk.

Section 739.14 | Powers and duties of board of tax commissioners.

• Effective: October 1, 1953
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 100th General Assembly

Upon receipt of the levies made by the legislative authority of the municipal corporation, the board of tax commissioners shall consider them and within ten days after such receipt shall return them to the legislative authority with its approval or rejection. In case of rejection the board shall give its reasons therefor. The board may approve or reject any part thereof, and the parts so rejected shall not become valid levies unless the legislative authority thereafter, by three-fourths vote of all members elected thereto, adopts such levy or part thereof.

If the board approves such levies, or if it neglects to return them with its approval or rejection within such ten day period, they shall be valid and legal. In no case shall the board have authority to increase such levy.