1-1 By: Lewis of Orange (Senate Sponsor - Galloway) H.B. No. 3574
1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House May 12, 1997;
1-3 May 13, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on Natural
1-4 Resources; May 17, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote:
1-5 Yeas 10, Nays 0; May 17, 1997, sent to printer.)
1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-7 AN ACT
1-8 relating to the election and terms of office of directors of the
1-9 Jefferson County Water Control and Improvement District No. 10.
1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11 SECTION 1. Section 4, Chapter 245, Acts of the 54th
1-12 Legislature, Regular Session, 1955 (Article 8280-166, Vernon's
1-13 Texas Civil Statutes), is amended to read as follows:
1-14 Sec. 4. GOVERNING BODY OF THE DISTRICT. The District's
1-15 powers shall be exercised through a Board of Directors consisting
1-16 of five (5) members. The Governor, with the advice and consent of
1-17 the Senate, shall appoint two (2) members to the Board of Directors
1-18 to serve for a term expiring on the 15th day of April, 1956, and
1-19 three (3) members to serve for a term expiring on the 15th day of
1-20 April, 1957. The successors to the first Board of Directors shall
1-21 be elected by the qualified voters of the District. Two (2)
1-22 Directors shall be elected on the first Saturday in April, 1956,
1-23 and three (3) on the first Saturday in April, 1957, and each
1-24 even-numbered year thereafter on the first Saturday in May [April]
1-25 two or [(2) Directors and] three [(3)] Directors, as appropriate
1-26 [alternately], shall be elected for staggered four-year [two-year]
1-27 terms, commencing on May [April] 16th following their election.
1-28 All members of the Board of Directors shall be resident qualified
1-29 electors, owning taxable property within the area comprising the
1-30 District. When appointed or elected as aforesaid, the members of
1-31 said Board of Directors shall qualify by taking the oath of office
1-32 and executing the bonds hereinafter prescribed, and shall organize
1-33 by electing one (1) of their number as president, one (1) as
1-34 vice-president, and one (1) as secretary-treasurer. Each Director
1-35 shall subscribe to the Constitutional oath of office and give bond
1-36 for the faithful performance of his duties in the amount of Five
1-37 Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) and shall hold office until his
1-38 successor has been elected and has qualified. The aforesaid
1-39 official bonds shall be recorded in the Official Bond Records of
1-40 the county. The elections herein provided for shall be called,
1-41 conducted and canvassed in the manner provided by Chapter 25 of the
1-42 General Laws adopted by the 39th Legislature at its Regular Session
1-43 in 1925, as amended. The Board of Directors shall fill all
1-44 vacancies on the Board by appointment and such appointees shall
1-45 hold office for the unexpired term for which they were appointed.
1-46 Any three (3) members of the Board shall constitute a quorum for
1-47 the adoption or passage of any resolution or order or the
1-48 transaction of any business of the District. The Board of
1-49 Directors from time to time shall be authorized to make or cause to
1-50 be made surveys and engineering investigations for the information
1-51 of the District to facilitate the accomplishment of the purposes
1-52 for which the District is created, and may employ engineers,
1-53 attorneys and all other technical and non-technical employees or
1-54 assistants and fix and provide the amount and manner of their
1-55 compensation, and may provide for the payment of expenditures
1-56 deemed essential to the proper maintenance and administration of
1-57 the District. The members of the Board of Directors shall receive
1-58 a fee of Three Dollars ($3.00) per day for attending each meeting
1-59 of the Board, provided that not more than Six Dollars ($6.00) shall
1-60 be paid to any Director for meetings held in any one calendar
1-61 month.
1-62 SECTION 2. (a) Notwithstanding Section 4, Chapter 245, Acts
1-63 of the 54th Legislature, Regular Session, 1955, as amended by this
1-64 Act, the Jefferson County Water Control and Improvement District
2-1 No. 10 shall be governed by the board of directors serving on
2-2 September 1, 1997, until the board elected on May 2, 1998, in
2-3 accordance with Subsection (b) of this section takes office.
2-4 (b) On May 2, 1998, five directors shall be elected to the
2-5 board of directors of the Jefferson County Water Control and
2-6 Improvement District No. 10. The directors shall draw lots after
2-7 election to select two directors to serve two-year terms and three
2-8 directors to serve four-year terms. Successor directors serve
2-9 staggered four-year terms as provided by Section 4, Chapter 245,
2-10 Acts of the 54th Legislature, Regular Session, 1955, as amended by
2-11 this Act.
2-12 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.
2-13 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
2-14 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-15 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-16 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-17 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
2-18 * * * * *