14-677a.   Construction or construction and equipment of hospital or addition;additional bonds for certain hospital purposes; notice; protest petition; election.Any city of the second class which has voted to issue bonds for thepurpose of constructing or constructing and equipping a hospital or anaddition to its hospital and which is unable to proceed with suchconstruction and equipping because of increased costs since theauthorization of such bonds may issue additionalbonds of the city in an amount not to exceed 50% of theoriginal amount authorized. Before the issuance ofany such bonds, the governing body of the city shall cause to bepublished once each week for two consecutive weeks in the official city paper anotice of its intention to issue such additional bonds. Unless thereis filed in the office of the city clerk within 30 days afterthe first publication of the notice a petition protesting theissuance of such bonds in accordance with this section, the governing bodymay proceed to issue and sellsuch bonds.

      If within 30 days after the first publication of the notice, petitionssigned by qualified electors equal in number to not less than 25%of the qualified electors of the city who voted for mayor at the last cityelection are filed with the city clerk,the governing body shall submit the question of issuing such additionalbonds at the next regular election held within six months afterthe filing of such petitions, or at a special election called for thatpurpose if no regular election will be held within that time. If themajority of those voting on such proposition vote in favor of issuing thebonds, the governing body of the city shall proceed to issue andsell the bonds in accordance with the provisions of the general bondlaw, and none of the debt limitations provided by law shall apply tobonds issued under this act. The proceeds from the sale of such bondsshall be used together with the amount previously authorized for thepurposes for which such original bonds were issued.

      History:   L. 1949, ch. 172, § 1; L. 1961, ch. 105, § 1; L. 1981,ch. 173, § 47; July 1.