AMENDMENT 538 RATIFIED

Incorporation of Tom Bevill Reservoir Management Area Authority.

Any provision of the Constitution of Alabama or amendments thereto to the contrary notwithstanding, the legislature by general or local law may provide for and authorize in Fayette County the incorporation of a public corporation as a political subdivision of the state to be named The Tom Bevill Reservoir Management Area Authority, for the development of that portion of North River in Fayette County and within the boundaries of The Tom Bevill Reservoir Management Area, its tributaries and watershed area, for the purposes of water conservation and supply, dam construction and reservoir development, for industrial development, flood control, navigation, irrigation, public recreation and related purposes. Any such law may provide for the composition of the board of directors of the authority and specify the powers and duties of the authority and its board of directors, may authorize the authority to investigate the resources of The Tom Bevill Reservoir Management Area, and to determine and implement the requirements for its full development and control, and to carry out a unified comprehensive program of resource development, together with other powers to effectuate the foregoing objective, may authorize the authority to acquire land and interests in land by purchase, construction, lease, condemnation or otherwise, and to hold, manage and sell such land and interests therein, may make provisions respecting the establishment and revision of rates, fees and charges for services rendered by the authority, may provide for the issuance by the authority for any of its corporate purposes of interest-bearing revenue bonds and notes payable solely out of the revenues of the authority or out of the revenues of any particular facilities and other property of the authority, without regard to the specific facilities and other property with respect to which such bonds and notes may have been issued, may provide further for certain taxes, may provide that such bonds and notes shall constitute negotiable instruments, may provide that such bonds and notes may be secured by a pledge of the revenues from which they are payable, by contracts binding the authority for the proper application of its revenues and the proceeds of such bonds and notes and by a nonforeclosable mortgage or deed of trust or statutory mortgage lien on the facilities and other property out of the revenues from which such bonds and notes are payable, and may provide that bonds and notes of the authority may be issued under a trust indenture, may provide for constructive notice of any such statutory mortgage lien, may authorize and make provisions respecting the assumption by the authority of obligations respecting facilities and other property acquired by the authority, may provide for the use of the proceeds of bonds and notes issued by the authority and provide for the refunding by the issuance of bonds and notes of the authority of bonds and notes theretofore issued or obligations theretofore assumed by it, may provide that bonds and notes issued and contracts entered into by the authority pursuant to the act shall not constitute or create a debt of the state or of any county, municipality or other political subdivision of the state, may authorize the Fayette County commission and the municipalities located within Fayette County to contribute money to the authority, without the necessity of an election and with or without consideration therefor, may exempt from all taxation in this state, the authority, its property, corporate activities, income, revenues, bonds and notes, the income from its bonds and notes, and conveyances, leases and mortgages and deeds of trust to which the authority is a party, and exempt the authority from payment of certain charges to judges of probate, it grants to the authority the power to levy and collect within the boundaries of the management area certain excise taxes, sales taxes, and ad valorem taxes, may provide that the authority shall have zoning power within the boundaries of the management area, may provide that the authority shall be exempted from regulation and supervision by the public service commission and the state department of finance, may provide for the use of public roads in the state by the authority, and may provide for certain annual reports by the authority.