§ 62-541. Investment in public bonds, warrants and securities - Court proceedings to procure authority for investment in bonds of other municipal subdivisions or for more than par and accrued interest.

The Treasurer of the State of Oklahoma, the county treasurer in any county when authorized by the board of county commissioners, and the lawful treasurer of any city, town or board of education, when authorized so to do by the lawfully constituted governing body of such city, town, or board of education may invest the sinking funds in his custody in United States bonds, United States Treasury notes, United States Treasury certificates or Postal Savings certificates, to the payment of which the faith and credit of the United States is pledged by the terms of such bonds, notes or certificates, or in State bonds, Public Building Bonds, State Warrants or State Treasury notes of the State of Oklahoma issued under authority of legislative enactment, or in the bonds or judgments of courts of record of the particular and specific municipality whose sinking funds are to be invested, or in current warrants of his own registration, provided the securities so purchased mature prior to the time the money so invested is required by law to be on hand in cash for the purpose of meeting the bonded indebtedness of the state or the municipal subdivision thereof whose sinking funds are so invested, and further, provided the bonds of the particular municipality whose sinking funds are to be so invested or the current warrants of such treasurer's own registration, can be purchased at not to exceed par and accrued interest.  If deemed advisable to invest the sinking funds in the custody of the county treasurer, or in the custody of the lawful treasurer of any city, town or board of education, in lawfully issued county, city, town, township, board of education, or dependent school district bonds issued by a municipal subdivision of the State of Oklahoma, other than the one whose sinking fund is proposed to be invested, or if deemed advisable to invest the sinking fund of such municipal subdivision in its own bonds at the market for more than par and accrued interest, then the county treasurer or the lawful treasurer of such city, town, or board of education, if authorized by the duly constituted governing board to whom he is by law required to render account, either at his own instigation or by the lawfully constituted attorney of such county, city, town or board of education, may file a duplicate application in writing in the district court, in which application he shall set forth the full nature and description of the securities which he proposed to purchase, together with the estimated value thereof, the aggregate amount thereof and the proposed price of purchase; and he shall further disclose in said application, the condition of the sinking fund account so proposed to be invested, and the bond, coupon and judgment indebtedness payable therefrom with maturities and accruals scheduled in detail.  Thereupon it shall be the duty of the court clerk of such county to docket such application, without cost, upon the appearance docket of such district court as other civil actions; and it shall be the immediate duty of such court clerk to transmit the duplicate application, schedules, and exhibits to the district attorney who shall enter his appearance in such instance on behalf of the public and who may, at the discretion of the court, require such further information by detailed exhibits, schedules or statistics as may seem advisable.  Within three (3) days after the filing of such application, the judge of such district court shall enter an order setting such application for hearing, and directing the court clerk to give such notice to the public of such application and the date of hearing thereof as said district judge may deem proper for the protection of the public and the taxpayers of such county and/or the municipal subdivisions thereof, and, if such notice be directed to be had by publication in some newspaper named by the court, the expense thereof shall be borne out of any appropriation for legal expense of such county, city, town or board of education.  It shall be the duty of the district attorney to file in said proceedings, in writing, at the date appointed for such hearing, a correct report setting forth the opinion of such district attorney as to the soundness of such investments and advisability thereof, the validity of such securities, and particularly whether or not the municipality issuing the same has a net bonded indebtedness in excess of five percent (5%) of the netassessed valuation thereof as last certified by the county assessor to its county excise board.  Upon the date set for such hearing, any taxpayer shall have the right to appear in person, either with or without the aid of counsel, and make such protest or objection to such investment as he may deem proper for the protection of himself or the taxpayers of such county.  Thereupon it shall be the duty of the district judge, informally and in open court to hear any and all evidence and protests, either in support of or opposition to said proposed investment, and at the close of such hearing, to enter an order with reference to such application for investment as may be found and determined by the court for the protection and best interest of the county or municipal subdivision thereof whose sinking funds are proposed to be invested, and to the best interest of the public and taxpayers thereof; and thereupon, such district court may, by journal entry of judgment entered and recorded in such proceedings, either authorize in whole or in part that such investment be made, or deny such application.

Laws 1919, c. 207, p. 294, § 1; Laws 1923, c. 176, p. 299, § 1; Laws 1935, p. 122, § 1; Laws 1941, p. 287, § 1.