Indiana Code Title 8. Utilities and Transportation § 8-1.5-3-11

Sec. 11. (a) The money belonging to each municipally owned utility shall be kept by the municipal fiscal officer as separate funds as required by any bond ordinance or accounting procedures established by the commission or the state board of accounts. The municipal legislative body, with the approval of the board, may transfer surplus earnings of the utility to the general fund. The money may not, however, be transferred unless the terms and conditions of any bond ordinance, resolution, indenture, contract under IC 8-1-2.2, or similar instrument binding upon the utility are complied with.

(b) A cash reserve fund shall be created by ordinance and carried on the records of the utility or utilities by providing for monthly contributions or transfers to the cash reserve fund of surplus earnings of the utility or utilities.

(c) “Surplus earnings” are those cash earnings remaining after provision has been made to take care of current obligations, including:

(d) After creation of the cash reserve fund, the legislative body may include in the municipal general fund budget, as revenue in lieu of taxes, an amount equal to the actual balance in the cash reserve fund as of June 30 of the current year. However, the available cash reserve fund balance may be transferred to the municipal general fund only during the calendar year for which the budget was adopted, and transfers may not be made from any utility funds to the general fund except from the cash reserve fund.

(e) If at any time after the final approval of the budget an emergency should arise for further appropriations from the general fund, the legislative body may, by ordinance, transfer additional money from the cash reserve fund to the general fund to provide for the additional appropriations, the transfer to be limited to the accretions to the cash reserve fund since the preceding June 30.

(f) A cash reserve fund, if authorized by ordinance, may be used to make loans to another utility owned by the same municipality, for periods not to exceed five (5) years, at any interest rate. The repayment of the loan and interest shall be returned to the cash reserve fund.