| |
| |
|
|
A JOINT RESOLUTION
|
|
|
proposing a constitutional amendment relating to the provision of |
|
|
parks and recreational facilities by conservation and reclamation |
|
|
districts in El Paso County. |
|
|
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Section 59(c-1), Article XVI, Texas |
|
|
Constitution, is amended to read as follows: |
|
|
(c-1) In addition and only as provided by this subsection, |
|
|
the Legislature may authorize conservation and reclamation |
|
|
districts to develop and finance with taxes those types and |
|
|
categories of parks and recreational facilities that were not |
|
|
authorized by this section to be developed and financed with taxes |
|
|
before September 13, 2003. For development of such parks and |
|
|
recreational facilities, the Legislature may authorize |
|
|
indebtedness payable from taxes as may be necessary to provide for |
|
|
improvements and maintenance only for a conservation and |
|
|
reclamation district all or part of which is located in Bexar |
|
|
County, Bastrop County, Waller County, Travis County, Williamson |
|
|
County, Harris County, Galveston County, Brazoria County, Fort Bend |
|
|
County, [or] Montgomery County, or El Paso County, or for the |
|
|
Tarrant Regional Water District, a water control and improvement |
|
|
district located in whole or in part in Tarrant County. All the |
|
|
indebtedness may be evidenced by bonds of the conservation and |
|
|
reclamation district, to be issued under regulations as may be |
|
|
prescribed by law. The Legislature may also authorize the levy and |
|
|
collection within such district of all taxes, equitably |
|
|
distributed, as may be necessary for the payment of the interest and |
|
|
the creation of a sinking fund for the payment of the bonds and for |
|
|
maintenance of and improvements to such parks and recreational |
|
|
facilities. The indebtedness shall be a lien on the property |
|
|
assessed for the payment of the bonds. The Legislature may not |
|
|
authorize the issuance of bonds or provide for indebtedness under |
|
|
this subsection against a conservation and reclamation district |
|
|
unless a proposition is first submitted to the qualified voters of |
|
|
the district and the proposition is adopted. This subsection |
|
|
expands the authority of the Legislature with respect to certain |
|
|
conservation and reclamation districts and is not a limitation on |
|
|
the authority of the Legislature with respect to conservation and |
|
|
reclamation districts and parks and recreational facilities |
|
|
pursuant to this section as that authority existed before September |
|
|
13, 2003. |
|
|
SECTION 2. The legislature intends by the amendment |
|
|
proposed by Section 1 of this resolution to expand the authority of |
|
|
the legislature with regard to conservation and reclamation |
|
|
districts in El Paso County. The proposed amendment should not be |
|
|
construed as a limitation on the powers of the legislature or of a |
|
|
district with respect to parks and recreational facilities as those |
|
|
powers exist immediately before the amendment takes effect. |
|
|
SECTION 3. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be |
|
|
submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 8, 2011. |
|
|
The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the |
|
|
proposition: "The constitutional amendment authorizing the |
|
|
legislature to permit conservation and reclamation districts in El |
|
|
Paso County to issue bonds supported by ad valorem taxes to fund the |
|
|
development and maintenance of parks and recreational facilities." |