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<section article="glg" article_name="Local Government" number="19-205" title_number="19" title_name="Public Debt" subtitle_number="2" subtitle_name="Public Securities">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, this section applies only to the following governmental entities:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>a county;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>a public corporation or other political subdivision of the State; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>an instrumentality or agency of a county, public corporation, or other political subdivision of the State.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>This section does not apply to the following governmental entities:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Baltimore City;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>a municipality; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>a housing authority under Division II of the Housing and Community Development Article.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>This section does not apply if the total principal amount of the authorized issue is $25,000 or less.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>This section does not apply to a bond that:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>matures within 1 year after the date of issue and is issued:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>in anticipation of taxes;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>to meet current expenses; or</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>to meet an emergency;</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>is sold to the United States or a unit or instrumentality of the United States;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>is issued under a plan of composition approved in a proceeding under Chapter IX of the United States Bankruptcy Act; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>is issued under any other plan to refund or refinance in exchange, bond for bond, for an outstanding maturing debt, other than:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>a current or floating debt; or</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>a bond under item (i) of this paragraph.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>This section does not apply if:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>the proceeds of the sale of bonds are to be used with a grant from the United States or a unit or instrumentality of the United States to finance public works; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>in the opinion of the Attorney General, the agreement or other writing referring to the grant conditions the grant on the prior execution, by the governmental entity and a prospective buyer, of a contract for the sale of the bonds when issued.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>This section does not apply to bond or grant anticipation notes issued under Part III of this subtitle.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>This section does not apply to a bond issued under an enabling act that:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>states that this section does not apply; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>provides a different method for the sale of the bonds.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>A governmental entity shall offer bonds at a public sale.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>A governmental entity shall give notice of a public sale of bonds at least twice in at least one newspaper of general circulation in the area in which the governmental entity is located.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The first publication shall appear at least 10 days before the date of the sale.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The notice shall:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>be in the form required in the ordinance or resolution that authorizes the issuance of the bonds;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>state the date, time, and place of the public sale;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>reference the enabling act that authorized the bonds;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>state the date of issue;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="v">
        <text>state the total principal amount;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="vi">
        <text>state the schedule of maturities;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="vii">
        <text>state the interest payable or the manner of determining the interest;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="viii">
        <text>state the purpose for which the proceeds will be used;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ix">
        <text>describe the general form of the bonds, including whether the bonds will be:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>in coupon or registered form; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>registrable as to principal or interest or both;</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="x">
        <text>state that each bid must be made in writing by sealed proposal; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="xi">
        <text>state the amount of the good faith deposit that the governmental entity has determined must accompany the bid.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>The notice may reserve to the governmental entity the right to reject any or all bids.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>Except as provided in subsection (f) of this section, the governmental entity shall sell the bonds to the highest bidder or bidders at the public sale.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <level label="1">
      <text>If the governmental entity has reserved the right to reject bids and does reject all bids, the governmental entity, within 30 days after rejecting all the bids, may sell the bonds at a private sale for not less than the highest amount bid by an acceptable bidder at the public sale.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>If the governmental entity fails to sell the bonds at a private sale within the 30–day period under paragraph (1) of this subsection, the governmental entity may sell the bonds only at another public sale after notice as required in subsection (d) of this section.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
