§ 1-5-1. Authority to issue bonds; authority to levy taxes to pay for bonds; authority to improve systems.

Article VII, Section VII, Paragraph I of the Constitution of the State of Georgia is hereby amended by adding at the end thereof the following:

"Anything in this Constitution to the contrary notwithstanding, Henry County is hereby authorized to incur an additional indebtedness for water and sewerage purposes and evidence the same by the issuance, from time to time, of its direct general obligation water and sewerage bonds, but the aggregate principal amount of such general obligation bonds outstanding at any one time shall not exceed seven (7) per centum of the assessed value of all taxable property within the County subject to taxation for bond purposes. Said debt limitation shall be in addition to and separate from the seven (7) per centum debt limitation now imposed by Article VII, Section VII, Paragraph I of the Constitution. Nothing herein contained shall limit or otherwise affect the amount of bonds Henry County may issue under said Article VII, Section VII, Paragraph I of the Constitution for other purposes. Said County is hereby authorized to levy taxes without limitation as to rate or amount sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on said bonds as same mature. The issuance or non-issuance of said water and sewerage bonds shall be submitted to the registered, qualified voters of the County for their determination as provided under Article VII, Section VII, Paragraph I of the Constitution and the laws of this State. In addition to the foregoing, the governing authority of Henry County is hereby authorized to levy taxes to pay the cost of operating, maintaining, repairing or otherwise improving the water and sewerage system of said County. The provisions of this amendment are cumulative and are in addition to all other rights and authority which have heretofore been conferred or may hereafter be conferred upon Henry County, under the Constitution and laws of the State of Georgia, including, but not limited to, the right and authority of said County to issue its water and sewerage revenue bonds under the Constitution and the Revenue Bond Law (Ga. Laws 1957, p. 36 et seq., as amended) amending the law formerly known as the Revenue Certificate Law (Georgia Laws 1937, p. 761 et. seq., as amended). This amendment is self-enacting and does not require any enabling legislation for it to become effective; provided, however, the General Assembly may by law grant further and additional powers to the County not inconsistent with the provisions of this amendment."

(Ga. Laws 1968, P. 1774, Act No. 248, § 1)

Editor's note— The above amendment was ratified by the electors at the November 5, 1968 election as required by section 2 of the act proposing the amendment.

References in the above amendment to a seven (7) per centum debt limitation are obsolete, as Article IX, Section VII, Paragraph I of the 1976 Constitution provides for a ten (10) per centum debt limitation. All references in the above section to Article VII, Section VII, Paragraph I are to the 1945 Constitution; its successor provision in the 1976 Constitution is Article IX, Section VII, Paragraph I. The Revenue Bond Law is Official Code of Georgia Annotated, § 36-82-60 et seq.