§6-6-752. Contents of petition; order to show cause; service of petition and order on district attorney; publication of public notice.

(a) The authority for issuing such obligations, the fact that an election has been held and that such election was in favor of the issuance of such obligations, if an election was required, the ordinances or resolutions authorizing their issuance and the fact of their adoption, and all essential proceedings had or taken in connection therewith, the amount of the obligations to be issued, the maximum rate of interest they are to bear, when principal and interest are to be paid and the place of payment (unless the successful bidder at public sale will have the right to name, designate, request or suggest the place of payment, which shall be stated if this is the case), the tax or other means provided for their payment, the assessed value of the property in the unit, the amount of outstanding indebtedness incurred and the date or dates when so incurred and the amount in each sinking fund of the unit shall be briefly set out in said petition by appropriate allegations, references or exhibits.

(b) The judge of said court shall, on the filing and presentation of said petition, issue an order against the taxpayers and citizens of such unit requiring them to show cause at a time and place to be designated in said order, which time shall be not less than 20 days nor more than 40 days after the issuance of such order and which place shall be within the county in which the petition is filed, why said obligations should not be validated and confirmed.

(c) A copy of said petition and order shall be served, at least 18 days before the date fixed in such order for the hearing on the district attorney of the county in which such proceedings are pending. It shall be the duty of the district attorney to examine such petition carefully, and if it appears to him, or if he has any reason to believe, that such petition is defective, insufficient or untrue, or if it is his opinion that the obligations in question have not been properly authorized or would be in violation of law, that the tax or other means provided for their payment would not be valid or that any pledge or other covenant or provision for the benefit of said obligations would not be valid, then he shall make such defense thereto as to him shall seem proper. Any officer, agent or employee who has charge, possession, custody, or control of any of the books, papers, or records of said unit shall, on demand of the district attorney, exhibit to him for examination said books, papers, and records and shall, without cost, furnish to him duly authenticated copies of such books, papers, and records which pertain to the proceedings for the issuance of such obligations or which might affect the legality of same or the validity of the tax or the means provided for their payment, as he shall demand.

(d) Prior to the hearing of said case, the register or clerk of said court shall publish, in a newspaper published in the unit, once each week for at least three weeks before the hearing, the first publication to be at least 18 days before such hearing, a notice addressed to the taxpayers and citizens of such unit requiring them, at the time and place specified in the order providing for the hearing of such case, to show cause, if any they have, why said obligations and the tax or other means provided for their payment and any pledges or other covenants, provisions, or agreements for the benefit of said obligations that may be referred to in the petition should not be validated and confirmed; provided, that if no newspaper is published in such unit, then such notice shall be published as aforesaid in a newspaper published in the county or, if no newspaper is published in the county, then in a newspaper published within the state and having a general circulation in such unit. By the publication of such notice, all taxpayers and citizens of such unit shall become parties defendant to said proceedings, and the court shall have jurisdiction of them the same as if each of them were named individually as a party defendant in said petition and personally served with process.

(Acts 1935, No. 196, p. 582; Code 1940, T. 7, §171; Acts 1959, No. 495, p. 1229; Acts 1971, No. 972, p. 1734.)