(a) The corporate authorities of any township, without submitting the question to the electors of the township for approval, may authorize by ordinance the issuance of refunding bonds (i) to refund its bonds before their maturity; (ii) to refund its unpaid matured bonds; (iii) to refund matured coupons evidencing interest upon its unpaid bonds; (iv) to refund interest at the coupon rate upon its unpaid matured bonds that has accrued since the maturity of those bonds; and (v) to refund its bonds that by their terms are subject to redemption before maturity.
     (b) The refunding bonds may be made registerable as to principal and may bear interest at a rate not to exceed 6% annually, payable at the time and place provided in the bond ordinance.
     (c) The refunding bonds shall remain valid even though one or more of the officers executing the bonds ceases to hold that office before the bonds are delivered.
     (d) For purposes of this Article, “corporate authorities of a township” means the board of officers who were authorized to issue the bonds that are being refunded under this Article.