S 3241

2026 -- S 3241
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LC006415
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  STATE  OF        RHODE  ISLAND
  IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
  JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
  ____________
  AN ACT
   AUTHORIZING THE TOWN OF NARRAGANSETT TO FINANCE THE EQUIPPING,
 EXPANSION, IMPROVEMENT AND RENOVATION OF FIRE STATIONS IN THE TOWN
   OF NARRAGANSETT AND TO ISSUE NOT MORE THAN $3,000,000 BONDS AND
  NOTES THEREFOR
  Introduced By: Senator Alana DiMario
  Date Introduced: May 01, 2026
  Referred To: Senate Housing & Municipal Government
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
1SECTION 1. The town of Narragansett is hereby empowered, in addition to authority
2 previously granted, to issue bonds in an amount not exceeding three million dollars ($3,000,000)
3 from time to time under its corporate name and seal or a facsimile of such seal. The bonds of each
4 issue may be issued in the form of serial bonds or term bonds or a combination thereof and shall be
5 payable either by maturity of principal in the case of serial bonds or by mandatory serial redemption
6 in the case of term bonds, in annual installments of principal, the first installment to be not later
7 than five (5) years and the last installment not later than thirty (30) years after the date of the bonds.
8SECTION 2. The bonds shall be signed by the manual or facsimile signatures of the town
9 treasurer and the president of the town council and shall be issued and sold in such amounts as the
10 town council may authorize by resolution. The manner of sale, denominations, maturities, interest
11 rates and other terms, conditions and details of any bonds or notes issued under this act may be
12 fixed by the resolution of the town council authorizing the issue or by separate resolution of the
13 town council or, to the extent provisions for these matters are not so made, they may be fixed by
14 the officers authorized to sign the bonds or notes. The proceeds derived from the sale of the bonds
15 shall be delivered to the town treasurer, and such proceeds exclusive of premiums and accrued
16 interest shall be expended for: (1) The equipping, expansion, improvement and renovation of fire
17 stations in the town of Narragansett and all costs incidental thereto; (2) In payment of the principal
1 of or interest on temporary notes issued under Section 3 of this act; or (3) In repayment of advances
2 under Section 4 of this act. No purchaser of any bonds or notes under this act shall be in any way
3 responsible for the proper application of the proceeds derived from the sale thereof. The projects
4 shall be carried out and all contracts made therefore on behalf of the town by the town council or
5 as may be otherwise directed by the town council. The proceeds of bonds or notes issued under this
6 act, any applicable federal or state assistance and the other monies referred to in Section 6 of this
7 act shall be deemed appropriated for the purposes of this act without further action than that
8 required by this act. The bond issue authorized by this act may be consolidated for the purposes of
9 issuance and sale with any other bond issue of the town heretofore or hereafter authorized; provided
10 that, notwithstanding any such consolidation, the proceeds from the sale of the bonds authorized
11 by this act shall be expended for the purposes set forth above.
12SECTION 3. The town council may by resolution authorize the issue from time to time of
13 interest bearing or discounted notes in anticipation of the authorization or issue of bonds or in
14 anticipation of the receipt of federal or state aid for the purposes of this act. The amount of original
15 notes issued in anticipation of bonds may not exceed the amount of bonds which may be issued
16 under this act and the amount of original notes issued in anticipation of federal or state aid may not
17 exceed the amount of available federal or state aid as estimated by the treasurer. Temporary notes
18 issued hereunder shall be signed by the treasurer and by the president of the town council and shall
19 be payable within (5) five years from their respective dates, but the principal of and interest on
20 notes issued for a shorter period may be renewed or paid from time to time by the issue of other
21 notes hereunder; provided the period from the date of an original note to the maturity of any note
22 issued to renew or pay the same debt or the interest thereon shall not exceed (5) five years.
23SECTION 4. Pending any authorization or issue of bonds hereunder or pending or in lieu
24 of any authorization or issue of notes hereunder, the treasurer, with the approval of the town
25 council, may, to the extent that bonds or notes may be issued hereunder, apply funds in the treasury
26 of the town to the purposes specified in Section 2, such advances to be repaid without interest from
27 the proceeds of bonds or notes subsequently issued or from the proceeds of applicable federal or
28 state assistance or from other available funds.
29SECTION 5. Any proceeds of bonds or notes issued hereunder or of any applicable federal
30 or state assistance, pending their expenditure may be deposited or invested by the treasurer, in
31 demand deposits, time deposits or savings deposits in banks which are members of the Federal
32 Deposit Insurance Corporation or in obligations issued or guaranteed by the United States of
33 America or by any agency or instrumentality thereof or as may be provided in any other applicable
34 law of the State of Rhode Island.
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1SECTION 6. Any accrued interest received upon the sale of bonds or notes hereunder shall
2 be applied to the payment of the first interest due thereon. Any premiums arising from the sale of
3 bonds or notes hereunder and any earnings or net profit realized from the deposit or investment of
4 funds hereunder shall, in the discretion of the treasurer, be applied to the cost of preparing, issuing
5 and marketing bonds or notes hereunder to the extent not otherwise provided, to the payment of the
6 cost of the projects or to the cost of additional improvements coming within the description of the
7 projects in Section 2 of this act, to the payment of the principal of or interest on bonds or notes
8 issued hereunder or to any one or more of the foregoing. The cost of preparing, issuing and
9 marketing bonds or notes hereunder may also, in the discretion of the treasurer, be met from bond
10 or note proceeds exclusive of accrued interest or from other monies available therefor. Any balance
11 of bond or note proceeds remaining after payment of the cost of the projects and said additional
12 improvements and the cost of preparing, issuing and marketing bonds or notes hereunder shall be
13 applied to the payment of the principal of or interest on bonds or notes issued hereunder. In
14 exercising any discretion under this section, the treasurer shall be governed by any instructions
15 adopted by resolution of the town council. The treasurer is authorized to take any action deemed
16 by him or her necessary: (1) To assure that interest on the bonds or notes issued hereunder remains
17 excludable from gross income of the recipients thereof for federal income tax purposes, including,
18 without limitation, paying to the federal government any rebate of earnings derived from the deposit
19 or investment of the proceeds of such bonds or notes that may be required therefor; (2) To sell the
20 bonds or notes under any financing program with the Rhode Island infrastructure bank; and (3) To
21 comply with the requirements of federal law, including without being limited to regulations and
22 other requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Municipal Securities
23 Rulemaking Board, imposed directly on the town or on the purchaser or underwriters of such bonds
24 and notes.
25SECTION 7. All bonds or notes issued under this act and the debts evidenced thereby shall
26 be obligatory on the town in the same manner and to the same extent as other debts lawfully
27 contracted by it and shall be excepted from the operation of § 45-12-2. No such obligation shall at
28 any time be included in the debt of the town for the purpose of ascertaining its borrowing capacity.
29 The town shall annually appropriate a sum sufficient to pay the principal and interest coming due
30 within the year on bonds and notes issued hereunder to the extent that monies therefor are not
31 otherwise provided. If such sum is not appropriated, it shall nevertheless be added to the annual tax
32 levy. In order to provide such sum in each year and notwithstanding any provision of law to the
33 contrary, all taxable property in the town shall be subject to ad valorem taxation by the town without
34 limitation as to rate or amount.
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1SECTION 8. Any bonds or notes issued under the provisions of this act, if properly
2 executed by officers of the town in office on the date of execution, shall be valid and binding
3 according to their terms notwithstanding that before the delivery thereof and payment therefor any
4 or all of such officers shall for any reason have ceased to hold office.
5SECTION 9. The town, acting by resolution of its town council, is authorized to apply for,
6 contract for and expend any federal or state advances or other grants or assistance which may be
7 available for the purposes of this act, and any such expenditures may be in addition to other monies
8 provided in this act. To the extent of any inconsistency between any law of this state and any
9 applicable federal law or regulation, the latter shall prevail. Federal and state advances, with interest
10 where applicable, whether contracted for prior to or after the effective date of this act, may be
11 repaid as project costs under Section 2.
12SECTION 10. Bonds and notes may be issued under this act without obtaining the approval
13 of any governmental agency or the taking of any proceedings or the happening of any conditions
14 except as specifically required by this act for such issue. In carrying out any project financed, in
15 whole or in part, under this act, including where applicable the condemnation of any land or interest
16 in land, and in the levy and collection of assessments or other charges permitted by law on account
17 of any such project, all action shall be taken which is necessary to meet constitutional requirements
18 whether or not such action is otherwise required by statute; but the validity of bonds and notes
19 issued hereunder shall in no way depend upon the validity or occurrence of such action. To the
20 extent of any inconsistency between this act and the town charter, this act shall prevail.
21SECTION 11. The question of the approval of this act shall be submitted to the electors of
22 the town at the general election on November 3, 2026. The question shall be submitted in
23 substantially the following form: "Shall an act, passed at the 2026 session of the General Assembly,
24 entitled “ AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE TOWN OF NARRAGANSETT TO FINANCE THE
25 EQUIPPING, EXPANSION, IMPROVEMENT AND RENOVATION OF FIRE STATIONS IN
26 THE TOWN OF NARRAGANSETT AND TO ISSUE NOT MORE THAN $3,000,000 BONDS
27 AND NOTES THEREFOR” be approved?" and the warning for the election shall contain the
28 question to be submitted. The town board of canvassers may combine any two (2) or more voting
29 districts for the election and when so combined shall be treated as a voting district. If so combined,
30 the town board of canvassers shall advertise the combination of districts in a newspaper of general
31 circulation in the town. From the time the election is warned and until it is held, it shall be the duty
32 of the town clerk to keep a copy of the act available at his or her office for public inspection, but
33 the validity of the election shall not be affected by this requirement.
34SECTION 12. This section and Section 11 shall take effect upon passage. The remainder
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1 of this act shall take effect upon the approval of this act by a majority of those voting on the question
2 at the election prescribed by Section 11.
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  EXPLANATION
  OF
  AN ACT
 AUTHORIZING THE TOWN OF NARRAGANSETT TO FINANCE THE EQUIPPING,
    EXPANSION, IMPROVEMENT AND RENOVATION OF FIRE STATIONS IN THE TOWN
 OF NARRAGANSETT AND TO ISSUE NOT MORE THAN $3,000,000 BONDS AND
  NOTES THEREFOR
  ***
1This act would authorize the town of Narragansett to issue up to $3,000,000 in bonds and
2 notes to finance the equipping, expansion, improvement and renovation of fire stations in the town.
3Section 11 and 12 of this act would take effect upon passage. The remainder of the act
4 would take effect upon approval by the electors of the town of the question provided for in Section
5 11.
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