Lease-purchase agreements.

(1) In order to effectuate the purposes of this part, the authority may enter into lease-purchase agreements with the city, the county, the state or any agency thereof, including the department, and any federal agency relating to and covering the expressway system or any portion thereof.

(2) Such lease-purchase agreements may provide for the leasing of the expressway system or any portion thereof by the authority as lessor to any one or more of the aforementioned governmental entities or agencies as lessee, shall prescribe the term of such lease and the rentals to be paid thereunder, and may provide that upon the completion of the faithful performance thereunder and the termination of such lease-purchase agreements, title in fee simple absolute to the expressway system, as then constituted, shall be transferred in accordance with law by the authority to such lessee or otherwise as provided in such agreements. In the event of such transfer to the lessee, the authority shall deliver to such lessee such deeds and conveyances as shall be necessary or convenient to vest title in fee simple absolute in such lessee.

(3) The lease-purchase agreements may include such other provisions, agreements and covenants as the authority and the lessee deem advisable or necessary, including but not limited to provisions with respect to bonds, the construction, reconstruction, extension, improvements, operation, repair, and maintenance of the expressway system, the expenses and costs of operation of the system and of the authority, the charging and collecting of tolls, rates, fees and other charges for the use of the services and facilities thereof, the application of federal, state or other grants or aid which may be made or given to assist the authority, the enforcement of payment and collection of rentals and any other terms, provisions or covenants necessary, incidental or convenient to the making of and full performance under such lease-purchase agreements.

(a) In the event the department is a lessee under any such lease-purchase agreement, it is authorized to pay as rentals thereunder in addition to the revenues accruing thereto from the operation of the expressway system, all or any portion of the Hillsborough County gasoline tax funds and may also pay as rentals any appropriations received by the department pursuant to any act of the Legislature heretofore or hereafter enacted; provided, however, that nothing herein nor in such lease-purchase agreement shall be construed to require the Legislature to make or continue such appropriations nor shall any holder of bonds ever have any right to require the Legislature to make or continue such appropriations.

(b) In the event the county is a lessee under any such lease-purchase agreement, it shall be authorized to pay as rentals thereunder in addition to the revenues accruing to the county from the operation of the expressway system all or any part of the 20-percent surplus gasoline tax funds accruing to Hillsborough County.

(4) No pledge of either the 80-percent surplus gasoline tax funds or the 20-percent surplus gasoline tax funds under any such lease-purchase agreement shall be made without the consent of the county evidenced by a resolution duly adopted by its board of county commissioners, nor unless the revenues pledged under any such lease-purchase agreements are estimated by the authority to aggregate during the term of such lease-purchase agreements not less than the principal amount of the bonds secured thereunder plus interest thereon. Such resolution, among other things shall provide that any excess of such pledge of the Hillsborough County gasoline tax funds which is not required for debt service or reserves for such debt service for any bonds shall be returned annually to the appropriate board or agency for distribution to the county as provided by law; and shall provide, further, that any Hillsborough County gasoline tax funds actually expended for such debt service, shall be repaid with interest out of revenues and other available moneys not required to meet the authority’s obligations to its bondholders, as determined by the authority.

(5) Any lessee under such lease-purchase agreements shall have power to covenant therein that it will pay all or any part of the cost of the operation, maintenance, repair, renewal and replacement of the expressway system, and any part of the cost of completing such system, to the extent that the proceeds of bonds issued therefor are insufficient, from sources other than revenues and Hillsborough County gasoline tax funds. Any such lessee may also agree to make such other payments from moneys available to the county, the city, the authority or the department in connection with the construction or completion of such system as shall be deemed by such lessee to be fair and proper under any such covenants heretofore or hereafter entered into.

(6) The system shall be a part of the state road system. The department is hereby authorized, upon request of the authority, to expend out of any funds available for the purpose, such moneys, and to use such of its engineering or other forces, as may be necessary and desirable in the judgment of the department, for the operation of the authority and for traffic surveys, borings, surveys, preparation of plans and specifications, estimates of costs, preliminary engineering and other studies.