ORS 294.035
Investment of funds of political subdivisions

  • approved investments

(1)

Subject to ORS 294.040 (Restriction on investments under ORS 294.035) and 294.135 (Investment maturity dates) to 294.155 (Annual audit report), the custodial officer may invest any sinking fund, bond fund or surplus funds in the custody of the custodial officer in the bank accounts, classes of securities at current market prices, insurance contracts and other investments listed in this section, but only after obtaining from the governing body of the county, municipality, political subdivision or school district a written order that has been entered in the minutes or journal of the governing body.

(2)

This section does not:

(a)

Limit the authority of the custodial officer to invest surplus funds in other investments when the investment is specifically authorized by another statute.

(b)

Apply to a sinking fund or a bond fund established in connection with conduit revenue bonds issued by a county, municipality, political subdivision or school district for private business entities or nonprofit corporations.

(3)

Investments authorized by this section are:

(a)

Lawfully issued general obligations of the United States, the agencies and instrumentalities of the United States or enterprises sponsored by the United States Government and obligations whose payment is guaranteed by the United States, the agencies and instrumentalities of the United States or enterprises sponsored by the United States Government.

(b)

Lawfully issued debt obligations of the agencies and instrumentalities of the State of Oregon and its political subdivisions that have a long-term rating of A- or an equivalent rating or better or are rated on the settlement date in the highest category without any refinement or gradation for short-term municipal debt by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization.

(c)

Lawfully issued debt obligations of the States of California, Idaho and Washington and political subdivisions of those states if the obligations have a long-term rating of AA- or an equivalent rating or better or are rated on the settlement date in the highest category for short-term municipal debt by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization.

(d)

Time deposit open accounts, certificates of deposit and savings accounts in insured institutions as defined in ORS 706.008 (Additional definitions for Bank Act), in credit unions as defined in ORS 723.006 (“Credit union” defined) or in federal credit unions, if the institution or credit union maintains a head office or a branch in this state.

(e)

Share accounts and savings accounts in credit unions in the name of, or for the benefit of, a member of the credit union pursuant to a plan of deferred compensation.

(f)

Fixed or variable life insurance or annuities as defined in ORS 731.170 (“Life insurance”) and guaranteed investment contracts issued by life insurance companies authorized to do business in this state.

(g)

Trusts in which deferred compensation funds from other public employers are pooled, if:

(A)

The purpose is to establish a deferred compensation plan;

(B)

The trust is a public instrumentality of such public employers and described in section (2)(b) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, 15 U.S.C. 80a-2(b), as amended, in effect on September 20, 1985, or the trust is a common trust fund described in ORS 709.170 (Establishment of and investment in common trust funds);

(C)

Under the terms of the plan the net income from or gain or loss due to fluctuation in value of the underlying assets of the trust, or other change in such assets, is reflected in an equal increase or decrease in the amount distributable to the employee or the beneficiary thereof and, therefore, does not ultimately result in a net increase or decrease in the worth of the public employer or the state; and

(D)

The fidelity of the trustees and others with access to such assets, other than a trust company, as defined in ORS 706.008 (Additional definitions for Bank Act), is insured by a surety bond that is satisfactory to the public employer, issued by a company authorized to do a surety business in this state and in an amount that is not less than 10 percent of the value of such assets.

(h)

Intentionally left blank —Ed.

(A)

Banker’s acceptances, if the banker’s acceptances are:
(i)
Guaranteed by, and carried on the books of, a qualified financial institution;
(ii)
Eligible for discount by the Federal Reserve System; and
(iii)
Issued by a qualified financial institution whose short-term letter of credit rating is rated in the highest category without any refinement or gradation by one or more nationally recognized statistical rating organizations.

(B)

For the purposes of this paragraph, “qualified financial institution” means:
(i)
A financial institution that is located and licensed to do banking business in the State of Oregon; or
(ii)
A financial institution that is wholly owned by a financial holding company or a bank holding company that owns a financial institution that is located and licensed to do banking business in the State of Oregon.

(C)

A custodial officer shall not permit more than 25 percent of the moneys of a local government that are available for investment, as determined on the settlement date, to be invested in banker’s acceptances of any qualified financial institution.
(i)
Intentionally left blank —Ed.

(A)

Corporate indebtedness subject to a valid registration statement on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission or issued under the authority of section 3(a)(2) or 3(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Corporate indebtedness described in this paragraph does not include banker’s acceptances. The corporate indebtedness must be issued by a commercial, industrial or utility business enterprise, or by or on behalf of a financial institution, including a holding company owning a majority interest in a qualified financial institution.

(B)

Corporate indebtedness must be rated on the settlement date P-1 or Aa3 or better by Moody’s Investors Service or A-1 or AA- or better by S&P Global Ratings and Fitch Ratings or an equivalent rating by any nationally recognized statistical rating organization.

(C)

Notwithstanding subparagraph (B) of this paragraph, the corporate indebtedness must be rated on the settlement date P-2 or A3 or better by Moody’s Investors Service or A-2 or A or better by S&P Global Ratings and Fitch Ratings or an equivalent rating by any nationally recognized statistical rating organization when the corporate indebtedness is:
(i)
Issued by a business enterprise that has its headquarters in Oregon, employs more than 50 percent of its permanent workforce in Oregon or has more than 50 percent of its tangible assets in Oregon; or
(ii)
Issued by a holding company owning not less than a majority interest in a qualified financial institution, as defined in paragraph (h) of this subsection, located and licensed to do banking business in Oregon or by a holding company owning not less than a majority interest in a business enterprise described in sub-subparagraph (i) of this subparagraph.

(D)

A custodial officer may not permit more than 35 percent of the moneys of a local government that are available for investment, as determined on the settlement date, to be invested in corporate indebtedness, and may not permit more than five percent of the moneys of a local government that are available for investment to be invested in corporate indebtedness of any single corporate entity and its affiliates or subsidiaries.

(j)

Repurchase agreements whereby the custodial officer purchases securities from a financial institution or securities dealer subject to an agreement by the seller to repurchase the securities. The repurchase agreement must be in writing and executed in advance of the initial purchase of the securities that are the subject of the repurchase agreement. Only securities described in paragraph (a) of this subsection may be used in conjunction with a repurchase agreement and such securities shall have a maturity of not longer than three years. The price paid by the custodial officer for such securities may not exceed amounts or percentages prescribed by written policy of the Oregon Investment Council or the Oregon Short Term Fund Board created by ORS 294.885 (Oregon Short Term Fund Board).

(k)

Shares of stock of any company, association or corporation, including but not limited to shares of a mutual fund, but only if the moneys being invested are funds set aside pursuant to a local government deferred compensation plan and are held in trust for the exclusive benefit of participants and their beneficiaries.

(L)

The investment pool as defined in ORS 294.805 (Definitions for ORS 294.805 to 294.895) and, with the approval of the State Treasurer, any other commingled investment pool that may be established in the discretion of the State Treasurer for investment of the funds of local governments. The State Treasurer may require the governing body of a local government to enter into an investment agreement with the State Treasurer as a condition of investing funds in a commingled investment pool under this paragraph. [Amended by 1957 c.53 §1; 1957 c.689 §1; 1965 c.404 §1; 1973 c.157 §1; 1973 c.288 §1; 1974 c.36 §9; 1975 c.359 §3; 1977 c.300 §1; 1981 c.804 §84; 1981 c.880 §13; 1983 c.456 §2; 1985 c.256 §2; 1985 c.440 §1; 1985 c.690 §2; 1987 c.493 §1; 1991 c.459 §379; 1993 c.59 §1; 1993 c.452 §1; 1993 c.721 §1; 1995 c.79 §102; 1995 c.245 §2; 1997 c.249 §91; 1997 c.631 §446; 1999 c.601 §1; 2001 c.377 §43; 2003 c.405 §1; 2005 c.443 §§13,13a; 2009 c.821 §25; 2013 c.192 §1; 2014 c.18 §1; 2019 c.587 §52]

Source: Section 294.035 — Investment of funds of political subdivisions; approved investments, https://www.­oregonlegislature.­gov/bills_laws/ors/ors294.­html.

Notes of Decisions

This section does not distinguish between voluntarily and involuntarily placed funds. Urban Renewal Agency v. Swank, 54 Or App 591, 635 P2d 1344 (1981), Sup Ct review denied

Since this section, together with ORS 328.255 and 328.441, do not define county treasurer’s investment of school district proceeds as “use,” treasurer’s pooling of proceeds with those of other governments for investment was not “use” but was rather the manner in which treasurer exercised custody over funds. Urban Renewal Agency v. Swank, 54 Or App 591, 635 P2d 1344 (1981), Sup Ct review denied

Attorney General Opinions

Investment of funds by school district, (1974) Vol 36, p 827; investment of funds in a credit union, (1975) Vol 37, p 968; investment of deferred compensation funds, (1976) Vol 37, p 1284; collateral requirements for public funds, (1976) Vol 38, p 374; authority of local government to invest public funds in variable annuity contracts for funding deferred compensation plans, (1978) Vol 39, p 47; public official entering into standby or forward commitments to purchase securities, (1980) Vol 40, p 295; general obligations of Federal National Mortgage Association as general obligations of instrumentality of U.S., (1982) Vol. 42, p 359

Law Review Citations

58 OLR 119 (1979)

294.004
Definitions
294.005
Definitions for ORS 294.005 to 294.025
294.010
Surrender of warrants upon payment
294.015
Payment on lost, stolen or destroyed warrants upon affidavit of owner, payee or representative
294.025
Effect of wrongful payment
294.027
Provisions relating to warrants and payment of claims
294.028
Payment of warrants by depository
294.029
Provisions of ORS 294.027 and 294.028 not mandatory
294.030
Deductions for bonds from compensation of municipal and other employees
294.033
Investment of deferred compensation funds
294.035
Investment of funds of political subdivisions
294.040
Restriction on investments under ORS 294.035
294.046
List of approved securities for investment under ORS 294.035
294.047
Loss of principal on liquidation of investments
294.048
Borrowing money when premature withdrawal or liquidation of certain investments would cause loss
294.052
Definitions
294.053
Investment by county in master warrants of county
294.055
Use by counties of moneys received from federal government under the Mineral Leasing Act
294.060
Apportionment of moneys received by counties from federal forest reserves to road and school funds
294.065
Use by counties of moneys received from federal government under the federal Flood Control Act
294.070
Expenditure of Taylor Grazing Act funds
294.080
Disposition of interest earned on funds held by county treasurer
294.090
County orders and vouchers to be numbered to correspond to warrants drawn
294.095
Action or proceeding with respect to budget or levy
294.100
Public official expending money in excess of amount or for different purpose than provided by law unlawful
294.120
Use of facsimile signatures
294.125
Investment of funds authorized by order of governing body
294.135
Investment maturity dates
294.145
Prohibited conduct for custodial officer
294.155
Annual audit report
294.160
Opportunity for public comment on new fee or fee increase
294.175
Definitions
294.178
Assessment grant to county
294.181
Alternative method for certification
294.184
County Assessment Function Funding Assistance Account
294.187
County Assessment and Taxation Fund
294.250
Publication by county governing body of schedule of expenditures and statement of proceedings
294.305
Sections constituting Local Budget Law
294.311
Definitions for ORS 294.305 to 294.565
294.316
Exclusions from scope
294.321
Purposes
294.323
Budget period
294.331
Budget officer
294.333
Basis of accounting used by municipal corporation
294.338
Compliance with Local Budget Law required prior to expenditure or tax certification
294.343
Internal service funds
294.346
Reserve fund established without vote
294.353
Elimination of unnecessary fund
294.358
Expenditure and resource estimate sheets
294.361
Contents of estimate of budget resources
294.368
Determination of estimated tax revenues
294.373
Reserving receipts from revenue-producing property or facility
294.378
Certain interest to be included in budget
294.383
Inclusions in accrued revenues of school, education service, community college and community college service districts using accrual basis of accounting
294.388
Estimates and reconciliation of expenditures and other requirements
294.393
Preparation of estimates by school, education service and community college districts and by municipal corporations operating public utility or hospital
294.398
Estimate of unappropriated ending fund balance for each fund
294.403
Budget message
294.408
Time of making budget message and document
294.414
Budget committee
294.423
Governing body of certain municipal corporations to be budget committee
294.426
Budget committee meeting
294.428
Budget committee hearings
294.431
Submission of budget document to tax supervising and conservation commission before date of public hearing
294.433
Format for notices and summaries
294.438
Publication of notice of meeting, financial summary and budget summary
294.441
Requirements for financial summaries of school, education service and community college districts
294.444
County budget summary of revenues and expenditures funded in part by state resources
294.448
Manner of publication
294.451
Sufficiency of publication of budget documents
294.453
Hearing by governing body on budget document as approved by budget committee
294.456
Governing body to adopt budget, make appropriations, declare and categorize property tax amount or rate
294.458
Filing copy of budget and certain documents with county assessor and Department of Revenue
294.461
Tax certification contrary to law voidable by Oregon Tax Court
294.463
Transfers of appropriations within fund or between funds
294.466
Appropriation of pass-through revenues
294.468
Loans from one fund to another
294.471
Supplemental budget in certain cases
294.473
Procedure when supplemental budget changes estimated expenditures by more than 10 percent
294.474
Requirement to file materials related to measure proposing local option tax or general obligation bond
294.476
Local option tax or bond measure approved after adoption of budget
294.477
Inclusion in budget of estimated requirements for bonds approved at May election
294.478
School or community college district expending federal or state funds in emergency
294.481
Authorization to receive grants or borrow or expend moneys to respond to public emergency
294.490
Department of Revenue not to interfere with fiscal policy of municipal corporation
294.495
Department of Revenue to construe Local Budget Law
294.500
Declaratory ruling by Department of Revenue as to its rules
294.505
Division of Audits to issue notification of budgetary irregularities
294.510
Order for revision of budgetary procedures
294.515
Appeal by municipal corporation from Department of Revenue order
294.520
Priority of appeals under Local Budget Law
294.565
Failure to file copy of required budget, reports or other documents
294.605
Definitions for ORS 294.605 to 294.705
294.608
Populous counties
294.610
Tax supervising and conservation commission
294.615
Oath of commissioner
294.620
Office of commission
294.625
Jurisdiction of commission
294.630
Tax supervising and conservation commission account
294.632
Commission calculation and report of costs
294.635
Submission of budget estimates by levying boards
294.640
Hearing on budget
294.645
Consideration of budget by commission
294.650
Striking unauthorized items from budget
294.655
Hearing on special tax levies and bond issues proposed for elector approval
294.660
Compiling information as to indebtedness
294.665
Levying board to submit audit report or financial statements annually
294.670
Commission may inquire into management, books and systems
294.675
Calling joint meetings of levying boards
294.680
Certifying excessive or unauthorized expenditures to district attorney
294.685
Annual report by commission
294.690
Records and files of commission open to public inspection
294.695
Attorney General as legal advisor and counsel to commission
294.700
Proceedings to collect penalties
294.705
Tax supervising and conservation commission fund
294.710
Procedures for establishing commission
294.725
Definitions for ORS 294.725 to 294.755
294.730
Fund created
294.735
Payments to fund by political subdivisions
294.740
Refund of account balances
294.745
Analysis of fund receipts and expenditures
294.750
Experience and liability of successor political subdivisions
294.755
Payment on quarterly basis
294.805
Definitions for ORS 294.805 to 294.895
294.810
Local and tribal governments authorized to place limited funds in pool
294.815
Period of investments
294.820
Establishment of investment pools by intergovernmental agreement
294.825
State Treasurer as investment officer
294.831
Investment objective
294.835
Standard of care
294.840
Investment policies
294.845
Investment officer to invest, reinvest pool funds
294.847
Prohibited conduct for investment officer
294.850
Contracts with persons to perform investment functions
294.855
Legal opinions
294.860
Custody of investment documents
294.865
Monthly deductions from income received for payment of expenses
294.870
Separate accounts for public bodies
294.875
Monthly report of investments of pool funds
294.880
Program examination and audit
294.882
Merger or subsequent separation of investment pool and Oregon Short Term Fund
294.885
Oregon Short Term Fund Board
294.890
Board members serve without compensation
294.895
Board duties, generally
294.900
“Council of governments” defined
294.905
Budget committee
294.910
Estimates of expenditures
294.915
Notice of budget committee meeting
294.920
Hearing on budget document
294.925
Supplemental budget
294.930
Authority of Department of Revenue
294.950
County revenue sharing with cities
294.960
Collection and disposition of amounts due counties
294.990
Penalties
Green check means up to date. Up to date