Sec. 15.1. (a) A board may enter into a lease of any facility that may be financed with the proceeds of bonds issued under this chapter with a lessor for a term not to exceed fifty (50) years. The lease may provide for payments to be made by the board from special benefits taxes levied under section 14 of this chapter and any other revenue available to the board, or any combination of these sources.

     (b) A lease may provide that payments by the board to the lessor are required only to the extent and only for the period that the lessor is able to provide the leased facilities in accordance with the lease. The terms of each lease must be based upon the value of the facilities leased and may not create a debt of the unit or the district for purposes of the Constitution of the State of Indiana.

     (c) A lease may be entered into by the board only after a public hearing by the board at which all interested parties are given the opportunity to be heard. Notice of the hearing must be given by publication in accordance with IC 5-3-1. After the public hearing, the board may adopt a resolution authorizing the execution of the lease on behalf of the unit if the board finds that the service to be provided throughout the term of the lease will serve the public purpose of the unit and is in the best interests of the unit’s residents. A lease approved by a resolution of the board must be approved by an ordinance of the fiscal body of the unit.

     (d) Upon execution of a lease providing for payments by the board in whole or in part from the levy of special benefits taxes under section 14 of this chapter and upon approval of the lease by the fiscal body, the board shall publish notice of the execution of the lease and its approval in accordance with IC 5-3-1. Fifty (50) or more taxpayers residing in the district who will be affected by the lease and who may be of the opinion that no necessity exists for the execution of the lease or that the payments provided for in the lease are not fair and reasonable may file a petition in the office of the county auditor within thirty (30) days after the publication of the notice of execution and approval. The petition must set forth the petitioners’ names, addresses, and objections to the lease and the facts showing that the execution of the lease is unnecessary or unwise or that the payments provided for in the lease are not fair and reasonable, as the case may be. Upon the filing of the petition, the county auditor shall immediately certify a copy of it, together with any other data necessary in order to present the questions involved, to the department of local government finance. Upon receipt of the certified petition and information, the department of local government finance shall fix a time for the hearing in the district, which must be not less than five (5) or more than thirty (30) days after the time of the hearing is fixed. The department of local government finance may either hold the hearing in the affected county or through electronic means. Notice of the hearing shall be given by the department of local government finance to the members of the fiscal body, the board, and the first fifty (50) petitioners on the petition by a letter signed by the commissioner or deputy commissioner of the department and enclosed with fully prepaid postage sent to those persons at their usual place of residence, at least five (5) days before the date of the hearing. The decision of the department of local government finance on the appeal upon the necessity for the execution of the lease and as to whether the payments under it are fair and reasonable, is final.

     (e) A board entering into a lease that is payable from revenues or other available funds of the board may:

(1) pledge the revenue to make payments under the lease as provided in IC 5-1-14-4; and

(2) establish a special fund to make the payments.

Lease rentals may be limited to money in the special fund so that the obligations of the board to make the lease rental payments are not considered a debt of the unit or the district for purposes of the Constitution of the State of Indiana.

     (f) Except as provided in this section, no approvals of a governmental body or an agency are required before the board enters into a lease under this section.

     (g) An action to contest the validity of the lease or to enjoin the performance of any of its terms and conditions must be brought within thirty (30) days after the publication of the notice of the execution and approval of the lease. However, if the lease is payable in whole or in part from tax levies and an appeal has been taken to the department of local government finance, an action to contest the validity or to enjoin performance must be brought within thirty (30) days after the decision of the department.

     (h) If a board exercises an option to buy a leased facility from a lessor, the board may subsequently sell the leased facility, without regard to any other statutes, to the lessor at the end of the lease term at a price set forth in the lease or at fair market value established at the time of the sale by the board through an auction, appraisal, or arms length negotiation. The board shall conduct a hearing after public notice in accordance with IC 5-3-1 before the sale. An action to contest the sale must be brought within fifteen (15) days after the hearing.

As added by P.L.2-1989, SEC.52. Amended by P.L.90-2002, SEC.499; P.L.38-2021, SEC.99.