By Lewis of Orange H.B. No. 3574
75R9943 JMC-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the election and terms of office of directors of the
1-3 Jefferson County Water Control and Improvement District No. 10.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Section 4, Chapter 245, Acts of the 54th
1-6 Legislature, Regular Session, 1955 (Article 8280-166, Vernon's
1-7 Texas Civil Statutes), is amended to read as follows:
1-8 Sec. 4. GOVERNING BODY OF THE DISTRICT. The District's
1-9 powers shall be exercised through a Board of Directors consisting
1-10 of five (5) members. The Governor, with the advice and consent of
1-11 the Senate, shall appoint two (2) members to the Board of Directors
1-12 to serve for a term expiring on the 15th day of April, 1956, and
1-13 three (3) members to serve for a term expiring on the 15th day of
1-14 April, 1957. The successors to the first Board of Directors shall
1-15 be elected by the qualified voters of the District. Two (2)
1-16 Directors shall be elected on the first Saturday in April, 1956,
1-17 and three (3) on the first Saturday in April, 1957, and each
1-18 even-numbered year thereafter on the first Saturday in May [April]
1-19 two or [(2) Directors and] three [(3)] Directors, as appropriate
1-20 [alternately], shall be elected for staggered four-year [two-year]
1-21 terms, commencing on May [April] 16th following their election.
1-22 All members of the Board of Directors shall be resident qualified
1-23 electors, owning taxable property within the area comprising the
1-24 District. When appointed or elected as aforesaid, the members of
2-1 said Board of Directors shall qualify by taking the oath of office
2-2 and executing the bonds hereinafter prescribed, and shall organize
2-3 by electing one (1) of their number as president, one (1) as
2-4 vice-president, and one (1) as secretary-treasurer. Each Director
2-5 shall subscribe to the Constitutional oath of office and give bond
2-6 for the faithful performance of his duties in the amount of Five
2-7 Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) and shall hold office until his
2-8 successor has been elected and has qualified. The aforesaid
2-9 official bonds shall be recorded in the Official Bond Records of
2-10 the county. The elections herein provided for shall be called,
2-11 conducted and canvassed in the manner provided by Chapter 25 of the
2-12 General Laws adopted by the 39th Legislature at its Regular Session
2-13 in 1925, as amended. The Board of Directors shall fill all
2-14 vacancies on the Board by appointment and such appointees shall
2-15 hold office for the unexpired term for which they were appointed.
2-16 Any three (3) members of the Board shall constitute a quorum for
2-17 the adoption or passage of any resolution or order or the
2-18 transaction of any business of the District. The Board of
2-19 Directors from time to time shall be authorized to make or cause to
2-20 be made surveys and engineering investigations for the information
2-21 of the District to facilitate the accomplishment of the purposes
2-22 for which the District is created, and may employ engineers,
2-23 attorneys and all other technical and non-technical employees or
2-24 assistants and fix and provide the amount and manner of their
2-25 compensation, and may provide for the payment of expenditures
2-26 deemed essential to the proper maintenance and administration of
2-27 the District. The members of the Board of Directors shall receive
3-1 a fee of Three Dollars ($3.00) per day for attending each meeting
3-2 of the Board, provided that not more than Six Dollars ($6.00) shall
3-3 be paid to any Director for meetings held in any one calendar
3-4 month.
3-5 SECTION 2. (a) Notwithstanding Section 4, Chapter 245, Acts
3-6 of the 54th Legislature, Regular Session, 1955, as amended by this
3-7 Act, the Jefferson County Water Control and Improvement District
3-8 No. 10 shall be governed by the board of directors serving on
3-9 September 1, 1997, until the board elected on May 2, 1998, in
3-10 accordance with Subsection (b) of this section takes office.
3-11 (b) On May 2, 1998, five directors shall be elected to the
3-12 board of directors of the Jefferson County Water Control and
3-13 Improvement District No. 10. The directors shall draw lots after
3-14 election to select two directors to serve two-year terms and three
3-15 directors to serve four-year terms. Successor directors serve
3-16 staggered four-year terms as provided by Section 4, Chapter 245,
3-17 Acts of the 54th Legislature, Regular Session, 1955, as amended by
3-18 this Act.
3-19 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.
3-20 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
3-21 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-22 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-23 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-24 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.