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House Bill 4789 |
House Author: Brown, Betty |
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Effective: 6-19-09 |
Senate Sponsor: Deuell |
House Bill 4789 amends the Special District Local Laws Code to create the Kaufman County Parks Improvement District, subject to voter approval if an election is called by the commissioners court. The district must obtain voter approval in an election before imposing property taxes. It must obtain advance approval of the governing body of the city for the issuance of bonds for a park improvement project and for plans and specifications of a park improvement project financed by a bond issuance, except that instead of bond approval it may obtain city approval of a capital improvements budget. All or any part of the district is eligible to be included in a reinvestment zone or enterprise zone. The bill grants the district the power to acquire land in the county, inside or outside the district, by specified means but prohibits the district from exercising the power of eminent domain. The bill establishes that the county commissioners court may not acquire land by eminent domain for park purposes and then transfer the land or control of the land to the district, and it may not acquire land for other than park purposes and then transfer the land or control of the land to the district unless at least ten years have elapsed between acquisition and transfer.