§8-16-17. Sinking fund; West Virginia Municipal Bond Commission; transfer of funds; purchase of outstanding bonds.

Before the issuance of any such bonds, the governing body or bodies shall, by ordinance or ordinances, provide for a sinking fund for the payment of the bonds and the interest thereon, and the payment of the charges of banking institutions or trust companies for making payment of such bonds and interest, out of the net revenues of said works, and shall set aside and pledge a sufficient amount of the net revenues of the works hereby defined to mean the revenues of the works remaining after the payment of the reasonable expenses of repair (including replacements), maintenance and operation, such amount to be paid by the board into the sinking fund at intervals, to be determined by ordinance or ordinances adopted prior to the issuance of the bonds, for: (a) The interest upon such bonds as such interest shall fall due; (b) the necessary fiscal agency charges for paying bonds and interest; (c) the payment of the bonds as they fall due, or if all bonds mature at one time, the proper maintenance of a sinking fund sufficient for the payment thereof at such time; and (d) a margin for safety and for the payment of premium upon bonds retired by call or purchase as herein provided, which margin, together with unused surplus of such margin carried forward from the preceding year and the amounts set aside as reserves out of the proceeds from the sale of the bonds, or from the revenues of said works, or from both, shall equal ten percent of all other amounts so required to be paid into the sinking fund. Such required payments shall constitute a first charge upon all the net revenues of the works. Prior to the issuance of the bonds, the board may, by ordinance or ordinances, be given the right to use or direct the trustee or the  West Virginia Municipal Bond Commission to use such sinking fund, or any part thereof, in the purchase of any of the outstanding bonds payable therefrom, at the market prices thereof, but not exceeding the price, if any, at which the same shall in the same year be payable or redeemable, and all bonds redeemed or purchased shall forthwith be cancelled, and shall not again be issued. After the payments into the sinking fund as herein required and after reserving an amount deemed by the board sufficient for repair (including replacements), maintenance and operation for an ensuing period of not less than twelve months and for depreciation, the board may at any time in its discretion transfer all or any part of the balance of the net revenues into the sinking fund or into a fund for improvement, renovation, extension, enlargement, increase or equipment for or to the works, or the governing body or bodies may, notwithstanding the provisions of section twenty, article thirteen of this chapter, transfer all or any part of the balance of the net revenues to the general or any special fund of the municipality or municipalities and use such revenues for any purpose for which such general or special fund may be expended.

All amounts for the sinking fund and interest, as and when set apart for the payment of same, shall be remitted to the  West Virginia Municipal Bond Commission at such periods as shall be designated in the ordinance or ordinances, but in any event at least thirty days previous to the time interest or principal payments become due, to be retained and paid out by said commission consistent with the provisions of this article and the ordinance or ordinances pursuant to which such bonds have been issued. The West Virginia Municipal Bond Commission is hereby authorized to act as fiscal agent for the administration of such sinking fund under any ordinance or ordinances passed or adopted pursuant to the provisions of this article and shall invest all sinking funds as provided by general law. Notwithstanding the foregoing, payments of principal and interest on any bonds owned by the United States or any governmental agency or department thereof may be made by the governing body directly thereto.