18-412. Electric light and power systems; construction, acquisition, and maintenance; revenue bonds and debentures authorized; referendum petition; cities with home rule charters; powers.
Supplemental to any existing law on the subject, and in lieu of the issuance of general obligation bonds or the levy of taxes upon property as provided by law, any city or village within the State of Nebraska may construct, purchase, or otherwise acquire, maintain, extend, or enlarge, an electric light and power plant, distribution system, and transmission lines, and real and personal property needed or useful in connection therewith, and pay the cost thereof by pledging and hypothecating the revenue and earnings of any electric light and power plant, distribution system, and transmission lines, owned or to be owned by such city or village. In the exercise of the authority granted in this section, any such city or village may issue and sell revenue bonds or debentures and enter into such contracts in connection therewith as may be proper and necessary. Such revenue bonds or debentures shall be a lien only upon the revenue and earnings of the electric light and power plant, distribution system, and transmission lines owned or to be owned by such city or village. No revenue bonds shall be issued until thirty days' notice of the proposition relating thereto shall have been given by the governing body of such city or village by publication once each week for three successive weeks in a legal newspaper in or of general circulation in such city or village, or if no such newspaper is published, then by posting in five or more public places in such city or village. If, within thirty days after the last publication of such notice or posting thereof, a referendum petition signed by qualified electors of such city or village equal in number to at least twenty percent of the vote cast at the last general municipal election held in such city or village shall be filed with the city clerk or village clerk, such bonds shall not be issued until the issuance thereof has been approved by a vote of the electors of such city or village at any general or special municipal election. If a majority of the voters voting on the issue vote against issuing such bonds, the bonds shall not be issued. If no such petitions are filed, the bonds shall be issued at the expiration of such thirty-day period. No publication of notice shall be required when revenue bonds are issued solely for the maintenance, extension, or enlargement of any electric generating plant, distribution system, or transmission lines owned by such city or village. The provisions of this section shall not restrict or limit the power or authority in the issuance of any such revenue bonds, as authorized by any home rule charter duly adopted by the electors or any city pursuant to the Constitution of Nebraska.
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Annotations
Construction of entirely new power plant requires authorizing vote. Nacke v. City of Hebron, 155 Neb. 739, 53 N.W.2d 564 (1952).
Proposition for issuance of revenue bonds was sufficient if submitted in the language of this section. Inslee v. City of Bridgeport, 153 Neb. 559, 45 N.W.2d 590 (1951).
When municipality has an existing system, it can issue revenue bonds without vote of electors. Slepicka v. City of Wilber, 150 Neb. 376, 34 N.W.2d 646 (1948).
City was authorized to acquire electric light and power plant by issue and sale of revenue bonds if proposition was approved by a majority of electorate voting thereon. May v. City of Kearney, 145 Neb. 475, 17 N.W.2d 448 (1945).
Future city councils cannot be legally bound to a price fixed in advance by a formula depending on amount of bonds outstanding and allocation of earnings, when statute leaves the determination of the reasonableness of the price to be fixed by agreement or condemnation proceedings at time city determines to buy system. State ex rel. Consumers Public Power Dist. v. Boettcher, 138 Neb. 22, 291 N.W. 709 (1940).
Use of the symbol "and/or" upon the ballot prepared led to the confusion of the voters, who were absolutely unable to determine definitely what they were voting for or against. Drummond v. City of Columbus, 136 Neb. 87, 285 N.W. 109 (1939).