Constitution of the State of Utah

ARTICLE XIV

PUBLIC DEBT

Section 1. [State debt, limitation.] To meet casual deficits or failures in revenue, and for necessary expenditures for public purposes, including the erection of public buildings, and for the payment of all Territorial indebtedness assumed by the State, the State may contract debts, not exceeding in the aggregate at any one time, the sum of two hundred thousand dollars over and above the amount of the Territorial indebtedness assumed by the State. But when the said Territorial indebtedness shall have been paid, the State shall never contract any indebtedness, except as in the next section provided, in excess of the sum of two hundred thousand dollars, and all monies arising from loans herein authorized, shall be applied solely to the purposes for which they were obtained.

Sec. 2. [Debts for public defense.] The State may contract debts to repel invasion, suppress insurrection, or to defend the State in war, but the money arising from the contracting of such debts shall be applied solely to the purpose for which it was obtained.

Sec. 3. [Debts of counties, cities, etc., not to exceed revenue. Exception.] No debt in excess of the taxes for the current year shall be created by any county or subdivision thereof, or by any school district therein, or by any city, town or village, or any subdivision thereof in this State; unless the proposition to create such debt, shall have been submitted to a vote of such qualified electors as shall have paid a property tax therein, in the year preceding such election, and a majority of those voting thereon shall have voted in favor of incurring such debt.

Sec. 4. [Limit of indebtedness of counties, cities, towns and school districts.] When authorized to create indebtedness as provided in section three of this article, no county shall become indebted to an amount, including existing indebtedness, exceeding two per centum. No city, town, school district or other municipal corporation, shall become indebted to an amount, including existing indebtedness, exceeding four per centum of the value of the taxable property therein, the value to be ascertained by the last assessment for State and county purposes, previous to the incurring of such indebtedness; except that in incorporated cities the assessment shall be taken from the last assessment for city purposes: Provided, That no part of the indebtedness allowed in this section, shall be incurred for other than strictly county, city, town or school district purposes: Provided, further, That any city or town, when authorized as provided in Section three of this Article, may be allowed to incur a larger indebtedness, not exceeding four per centum additional, for supplying such city or town with water, artificial lights or sewers, when the works for supplying such water, light and sewers, shall be owned and controlled by the municipality.

Sec. 5. [Borrowed money to be applied to authorized use.] All moneys borrowed by, or on behalf of the State, or any legal subdivision thereof, shall be used solely for the purpose specified in the law authorizing the loan.

Sec. 6. [State not to assume county, etc., debts.] The State shall not assume the debt, or any part thereof, of any county, city, town or school district. Sec. 7. [Existing indebtedness not impaired.] Nothing in this article shall be so construed as to impair or add to the obligation of any debt heretofore contracted, in accordance with the laws of Utah Territory, by any county, city, town or school district, or to prevent the contracting of any debt, or the issuing of bonds therefor, in accordance with said laws, upon any proposition for that purpose, which, according to said laws, may have been submitted to a vote of the qualified electors of any county, city, town or school district before the day on which this Constitution takes effect.