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Senate Bill 2510 |
Senate Author: Patrick, Dan |
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Effective: 6-19-09 |
House Sponsor: Riddle |
Senate Bill 2510 amends the Special District Local Laws Code to create the Harris County Improvement District No. 18. The bill grants the district the powers of a Type B development corporation and a municipal management district as well as the powers of a municipality under Local Government Code provisions relating to planning and development. The district may establish economic development programs and contract for law enforcement services. The bill authorizes district conduits for fiber-optic cable, electronic transmission lines, and other types of transmission lines and supporting facilities, and the charging of fees by the district for their use. The district may pursue public parking facilities supported by fees, charges, tolls, and the issuance of bonds to finance their cost, and it may adopt a hotel occupancy tax. Sales and use taxes, property taxes, and the issuance of bonds payable from property taxes require voter approval, but the general-law prohibition against taxes, assessments, or impact fees on certain residential properties, applicable normally to municipal management districts, does not apply. The district may grant tax or assessment abatements, and all or any part of the district may be included in a reinvestment zone or enterprise zone. Assessments to finance a service or an improvement project are prohibited except by petition of a requisite number of real property owners in the assessed area. The district may not impose an assessment or impact fee on a gas or electric utility, a power generation company, or certain providers of telecommunications services or public cable television. The bill includes provisions relating to annexations and exclusions. It prohibits the district from exercising the power of eminent domain. The district may limit improvements, facilities, or services and their supportive taxes and bonds to a defined area or designated properties.