Whenever it appears to the Governor from an affidavit filed with him by the Authority as the purchaser, holder, or credit enhancer of local obligations (regardless of the security therefor) issued by any county, city or town that a payment has not been made on any local obligations, the Governor shall immediately make a summary investigation into the facts set forth in the affidavit. The Authority may, but shall not be required to, file such an affidavit unless the Authority has otherwise contracted to make such filing for the benefit of the holders of any of its bonds or the local obligations credit enhanced by it. The affidavit described in this section may be filed by a trustee to which the Authority has assigned the local obligations or the payment thereon as security for bonds of the Authority under a resolution or trust indenture or otherwise.
If it is established to the satisfaction of the Governor that such nonpayment has occurred, the Governor shall immediately make an order directing the Comptroller to withhold all further payment to the county, city or town of all funds, or of any part of them, appropriated and payable by the Commonwealth to the county, city or town for any and all purposes, until the unpaid sum is obtained. The Governor shall, while the nonpayment continues, direct in writing the payment of all sums withheld by the Comptroller, or as much of them as is necessary, to the Authority, so as to cure, or cure insofar as possible, nonpayment on the local obligations.
The Governor shall, as soon as practicable, give notice of the nonpayment and of the availability of funds with the Comptroller in writing to the Authority. Any payment so made by the Comptroller to the Authority shall be credited as if made directly by the county, city or town and shall be charged by the Comptroller against the first appropriations otherwise payable to the county, city or town as if paid to the county, city or town. The Authority, at the time of payment or at the time of each payment shall receipt for the payment and deliver to the Comptroller all local obligations or other instruments or documents, in a form satisfactory to the Comptroller, evidencing the Authority's right to receive the amounts satisfied by the payment. The Comptroller shall report each payment made to the governing body of the nonpaying county, city or town and deliver or send by registered mail to the governing body all local obligations, or other instruments or documents received by the Comptroller under the provisions of this section.
Nothing in this section shall be construed to create any obligation on the part of the Comptroller or the Commonwealth to make any payment on behalf of the nonpaying county, city or town other than from funds appropriated and payable to the nonpaying county, city or town.
1998, c. 399; 2003, c. 561; 2011, c. 616.