2016 Oklahoma Statutes
Title 19. Counties and County Officers
§19-347. Certificates of indebtedness - Limitation of amount, annual expenditure or indebtedness – Warrants - Limitation of alterations to computer software.

A. With respect to counties seeking cash-flow management during any fiscal year, any county may issue and deliver certificates of indebtedness bearing a stated maturity date for the purpose of participating in a short-term cash management program pursuant to the provisions of Section 177.2 of Title 60 of the Oklahoma Statutes to fund the estimated costs of operations, capital expenditures or other lawful costs of the county, or any of its public trusts as operator of its property, for the current fiscal year. The proceeds of certificates of indebtedness shall be set aside in a separate account and used only for the purpose of meeting expenditures and obligations which would otherwise be lawfully payable from the revenue certified by the county excise board. As proceeds from the certificates are used to pay such lawful expenditures and obligations, the financial records of the county shall reflect the amounts of these obligations paid with such proceeds so that a like amount of revenue collected and available to the county may be used to repay the certificates of indebtedness, in whole or in part. The State Auditor and Inspector shall adopt uniform accounting procedures for use by the counties to ensure that the issuance of certificates of indebtedness and the use of the proceeds derived from these certificates will be documented and will not result in a district overspending its authorized budget. All certificates of indebtedness shall be issued, delivered and registered for payment in the specific manner designated by the State Auditor and Inspector; provided, any such certificates of indebtedness shall be made payable on any date within the then current fiscal year and may be purchased for value through the funding of uncollateralized investments made for the benefit of and on behalf of the county. Short-term cash management programs of any county may lawfully provide for the investment of note, bond or certificate proceeds by the issuer of the obligations with the benefit and use of such proceeds assured to the county when needed by the county. Monies remaining in any such investment agreement or investments may be applied to or credited for the payment of the certificate of indebtedness by trust instruction when due in a like and similar manner provided for the transfer of monies by subsection J of Section 5-135 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes. In no case may a county participate in a short-term cash management program in any given fiscal year beyond that fiscal year. Monies received by a county pursuant to a short-term cash management program may be used only for those purposes for which other monies of the county may be lawfully expended.

B. It shall be unlawful for the board of county commissioners to issue any certificate of indebtedness, in any form, in payment of or representing or acknowledging any account, claim, or indebtedness against the county, or to make any contracts for or incur any indebtedness against the county in excess of the amount then unexpended and unencumbered of the sum appropriated for the specific item of estimated needs for such purpose theretofore made, submitted, and approved or authorized for such purpose by a bond issue. All warrants upon the county treasurer, for a county purpose, shall be issued upon the order of the board of county commissioners, drawn by the county clerk, signed by the chairman of the board, and attested by the signature of the county clerk, with the county seal attached. Each warrant shall designate the fund, department and appropriation account, and shall further show the nature of the indebtedness acknowledged by the allowance of the claim so paid.

C. Whenever a county officer holding an elective office will not immediately serve a succeeding term in the same office, it shall be unlawful for the board of county commissioners, during the first six (6) months of the fiscal year in which said term of office expires, to approve claims for the operation of said office totaling in excess of one-half (1/2) the amount allocated for the operation of said office during said fiscal year, unless approval in writing is obtained from the county excise board, and any claim in excess thereof and any warrant issued pursuant thereto shall be null and void.

D. It shall also be unlawful for a county officer holding elective office who will not immediately serve a succeeding term in the same office to make any changes or alterations in the licensing or source code of computer software currently being used.

R.L.1910, § 1615. Amended by Laws 1945, p. 81, § 1; Laws 1961, p. 219, § 1, emerg. eff. July 24, 1961; Laws 1965, c. 254, § 1, emerg. eff. June 21, 1965; Laws 1988, c. 180, § 23, emerg. eff. May 31, 1988; Laws 1991, c. 212, § 5, eff. Aug. 1, 1991; Laws 2007, c. 100, § 2, eff. Nov. 1, 2007.

NOTE: Laws 2007, c. 132, § 3 repealed by Laws 2008, c. 3, § 9, emerg. eff. Feb. 28, 2008.