Bill Text: TX HB568 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the cost to maintain open ditches in certain populous municipalities.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-03-16 - Left pending in committee [HB568 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-HB568-Introduced.html
| 82R2815 MXM-D | ||
| By: Dutton | H.B. No. 568 | |
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| relating to the cost to maintain open ditches in certain populous | ||
| municipalities. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Chapter 229, Local Government Code, is amended | ||
| by adding Section 229.004 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 229.004. MAINTENANCE OF OPEN DITCHES. (a) This | ||
| section applies only to a municipality with a population of 3.3 | ||
| million or more. | ||
| (b) A municipality that requires a property owner to | ||
| maintain an open ditch by keeping the grass cut shall pay a | ||
| reasonable annual fee to that owner to maintain the ditch if the | ||
| owner complies with the requirements of Subsection (c). The fee may | ||
| not be less than 40 cents per foot of ditch each year. | ||
| (c) The property owner must: | ||
| (1) certify by affidavit every six months the number | ||
| of times the ditch was cut and maintained during the preceding six | ||
| months; and | ||
| (2) file the affidavit with the municipal secretary. | ||
| (d) Instead of paying the fee directly to the property | ||
| owner, the municipality may deduct the fee from any amounts owed by | ||
| the property owner to the municipality in municipal taxes. | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
| a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
| provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
| Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
| Act takes effect September 1, 2011. | ||
