§39-7-22. Powers generally; consent of Department of Finance required for issuance or sale of bonds or other evidence of indebtedness by authority.

(a) Subject only to the Constitution of the State of Alabama, each authority incorporated under this chapter shall have power:

(1) To sue and be sued;

(2) To have a seal and alter the same at pleasure;

(3) To acquire, by purchase, gift, devise, lease or exercise of the power of eminent domain or other mode of acquisition, hold and dispose of property real and personal, tangible and intangible, and interests therein in its own name, subject to mortgages or other liens or otherwise, and to pay therefor in cash or on credit and to secure and procure payment of all or any part of the purchase price thereof on such terms and conditions as it shall determine;

(4) To make and enter into contracts, indentures of trust, leases and bonds;

(5) To borrow money and to issue negotiable bonds and provide for the rights of the holders thereof;

(6) To refund any bonds theretofore issued by it by the issuance of refunding bonds to a principal amount not in excess of the principal amount of bonds to be refunded, any premium required in order to redeem or retire the bonds to be refunded and any interest accrued or to accrue on such bonds to the date of their redemption or retirement;

(7) To issue bonds for the combined purpose of so refunding any bonds theretofore issued by it and paying all or any part of the costs of constructing and acquiring any one or more enterprises or any improvements, extensions or enlargements thereto;

(8) To fix, maintain and collect rates and charges for any services;

(9) To pledge all or any part of its revenues;

(10) To make such covenants, in connection with the issuance of bonds or in order to secure the payment of bonds, that a private business corporation can make under the general laws of the state, notwithstanding that such covenants may operate as limitations on the exercise of any of the powers granted by this chapter;

(11) To enter on any lands, waters and premises for the purpose of making surveys, soundings and examinations;

(12) To pay to the municipality the whole or any part of the amount necessary to be raised by taxation by such municipality in order to pay, when due, notes, bonds or other obligations issued by such municipality in relation to any plant or system, the management, supervision, control and possession of which is transferred pursuant to this chapter from such municipality to such authority;

(13) To perform any and all acts and do any and all things by contract or contracts or under, through or by means of its own officers, agents and employees;

(14) To purchase, produce or otherwise secure water, gas and electric energy; and

(15) To exercise all powers of eminent domain now or hereafter conferred on municipalities in this state.

(b) No bonds or other evidence of indebtedness of an authority incorporated under this chapter shall be issued or sold until consent to the issuance and sale thereof shall have been given by the Department of Finance of Alabama, to be evidenced by resolution or order under seal of such body granting such consent. Such consent shall be granted only after a public hearing and after a petition requesting such consent has been duly filed by such authority with the Department of Finance more than five days before such public hearing. Such petition shall specify the plan or program of the authority and the uses to which it is proposed to put the proceeds of such issue and such other matters as are necessary fully to advise such Department of Finance of the nature of the enterprise and said petition shall include such other information as may be required by the rules of the Department of Finance. The Department of Finance shall grant such consent only after it finds that such issue or sale serves some public need and is in the public interest. It shall be unlawful for the authority to use the proceeds of any such issue or sale contrary to the plan and purposes presented to the Department of Finance in obtaining its consent thereto.

(Acts 1935, No. 40, p. 72; Code 1940, T. 50, §41; Acts 1956, 2nd Ex. Sess., No. 68, p. 359, §2; Acts 1962, Ex. Sess., No. 155, p. 197.)