Laurel can approve fully forgiven government loans without a public vote

Laurel’s Town Council can approve loans of any amount that meet the full-forgiveness rules. The loans must come from federal, state, or local governments or government-related funding bodies. A majority of all Town Council members must approve a formal resolution. The financing must charge no interest, require no repayment of the borrowed amount during the loan term, and forgive the entire borrowed amount. These loans do not count toward the charter’s debt limits or require a special election or referendum. The loans are exempt from the charter’s requirement to budget and set taxes for bond repayment.