84R246 NC-D
	By: Larson	H.J.R. No. 35

	A JOINT RESOLUTION
	proposing a constitutional amendment to allow the voters of Bexar
	County to adopt a charter that restructures and empowers the county
	government and that may allow the integration of the county
	government with certain other political subdivisions located
	wholly or partly in the county.
	BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1.   Article III, Texas Constitution, is amended by
	adding Section 64A to read as follows:
	Sec. 64A.  (a) Bexar County may adopt a county charter.  The
	county charter may integrate the county government with other local
	political subdivisions allowed under this section.
	(b)  The charter may:
	(1)  provide for the title, qualifications, term of
	office, powers, or duties of an office of chief elected official
	that replaces the office of county judge;
	(2)  provide for the structure, number of members,
	qualifications, terms of office, powers, duties, or other features
	of a governing body that replaces the commissioners court;
	(3)  modify the powers, duties, or functions of a
	county official that is established by another section of this
	constitution, if the charter otherwise continues all of the
	established functions of county government;
	(4)  merge the office of an elected county official
	that is established by another section of this constitution with
	the office of another county official, if the charter otherwise
	continues all of the established functions of both offices; and
	(5)  provide for the abolition of the office of an
	elected county official that is established by another section of
	this constitution, on the approval of a majority of the voters
	voting on the question in a separate election held at least one year
	after the initial election on the adoption of the charter.
	(c)  The abolition of an office under Subsection (b)(5) is
	effective at the earlier of:
	(1)  the conclusion of the regular term of the office
	holder at the time of the election to abolish the office; or
	(2)  the date the office becomes vacant.
	(d)  The charter may also integrate the county government and
	the government of any other municipality, special district or
	authority, or any other political subdivision, other than a school
	district, if:
	(1)  more than one-half of the area of the political
	subdivision to be integrated is located in the county; and
	(2)  the integration of political subdivisions
	includes the most populous municipality in the county.
	(e)  If Bexar County adopts a charter under this section, the
	powers and duties of the county are:
	(1)  the powers and duties established by the charter
	that are not inconsistent with a constitutional or statutory
	provision expressly applying to a charter county; and
	(2)  any additional powers and duties granted by this
	constitution or general law.
	(f)  If the charter integrates the county with other local
	political subdivisions under Subsection (d), the powers and duties
	of the integrated county government are also the cumulative powers
	and duties of the political subdivisions that are integrated. The
	charter may not diminish the powers, duties, and functions of a
	municipality that is not integrated with the county.
	(g)  If the charter integrates the county with other
	political subdivisions, the charter shall transfer to the county
	all the powers, duties, responsibilities, rights, privileges,
	assets, obligations, and liabilities of the integrated
	municipality, special district or authority, or other political
	subdivision.
	(h)  If a municipality that is integrated into a county
	government has extraterritorial jurisdiction outside the county,
	or if any portion of an integrated municipality, special district
	or authority, or other political subdivision is located outside the
	county, the integrated county government's powers and duties
	outside the county are limited to those powers and duties that the
	integrated political subdivision would have had in the absence of
	the governmental integration.
	(i)  A charter that integrates the county with other
	political subdivisions must establish distinct service districts
	in the area of the integrated county government that provide for
	district taxes that are graduated by area and based on the level of
	services provided to the service district by the integrated county
	government.
	(j)  Except for a constitutional or statutory provision
	expressly applying to Bexar County, a charter adopted under this
	section controls on an issue relating to the structure, powers,
	duties, functions, or governance of the county.
	(k)  The legislature, by local law or general law, shall
	establish the procedures for the appointment or election of a
	charter commission and for the adoption of a charter under this
	section.  The procedures for appointment or election of a charter
	commission must include alternative procedures to initiate the
	creation of a charter commission by action of the commissioners
	court, by action of the governing body of the most populous
	municipality in the county, or by petition of residents.  The
	legislative action may include any additional guarantees or other
	provisions that the legislature considers appropriate to require in
	a charter to protect minority voting rights. In the case of a
	charter that integrates the county with other political
	subdivisions, the legislative action may also include provisions
	to:
	(1)  protect the employees of political subdivisions
	that may become integrated under the county charter;
	(2)  coordinate the charter with the law governing
	annexation; and
	(3)  structure the governing body and the service
	districts and to allocate the debt service obligations of an
	integrated county government to ensure equity among the voters and
	taxpayers of the integrated county government.
	SECTION 2.   This proposed constitutional amendment shall be
	submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 3, 2015.
	The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the
	proposition: "The constitutional amendment to allow the voters of
	Bexar County to adopt a charter that restructures and empowers the
	county government and that may allow the integration of the county
	government with certain other political subdivisions wholly or
	partly in the county."