By Shields H.J.R. No. 118 75R7465 CAG-F A JOINT RESOLUTION 1-1 proposing a constitutional amendment to authorize the voters of 1-2 Bexar County and certain political subdivisions located, in whole 1-3 or in part, in Bexar County to create a consolidated city-county 1-4 government by adopting a charter restructuring and consolidating 1-5 political subdivisions. 1-6 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-7 SECTION 1. Article III, Texas Constitution, is amended by 1-8 adding Section 64A to read as follows: 1-9 Sec. 64A. (a) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this 1-10 constitution, Bexar County may adopt a charter to restructure the 1-11 county government as a consolidated city-county government under 1-12 the provisions of this section. 1-13 (b) A charter adopted under this section must consolidate 1-14 the Bexar County government and the government of the municipality 1-15 of San Antonio into a consolidated city-county government. The 1-16 charter may also consolidate into the consolidated city-county 1-17 government the governments of any other municipality, special 1-18 district or authority, or any other political subdivision, other 1-19 than a school district, if all or the largest portion of the area 1-20 of the political subdivision to be consolidated is located in Bexar 1-21 County. 1-22 (c) The charter must transfer to the consolidated 1-23 city-county government all the powers, duties, responsibilities, 1-24 rights, privileges, assets, obligations, and liabilities of the 2-1 county and any consolidated municipality, special district or 2-2 authority, or other political subdivision. 2-3 (d) The powers and duties of a consolidated city-county 2-4 government are the cumulative powers and duties of the political 2-5 subdivisions that are consolidated, any additional powers granted 2-6 by this constitution or general law, and any powers granted by the 2-7 charter that are not inconsistent with a constitutional or 2-8 statutory provision expressly applying to a consolidated 2-9 city-county government. 2-10 (e) Except for a constitutional or statutory provision 2-11 expressly applying to a consolidated city-county government, the 2-12 charter controls on an issue relating to the structure, powers, 2-13 duties, or governance of the consolidated city-county government. 2-14 (f) If any portion of a consolidated municipality, special 2-15 district or authority, or other political subdivision is located 2-16 outside Bexar County or has extraterritorial jurisdiction outside 2-17 Bexar County, the consolidated city-county government's powers and 2-18 duties outside Bexar County are limited to those powers that the 2-19 consolidated political subdivision would have in the absence of the 2-20 consolidation. 2-21 (g) A charter adopted under this section may: 2-22 (1) consolidate, modify, or abolish the office, 2-23 powers, duties, or elected status of a county official that is 2-24 established by another section of this constitution, if the charter 2-25 otherwise continues all of the established functions of county 2-26 government; and 2-27 (2) establish distinct service districts in the 3-1 consolidated city-county government that provide for district taxes 3-2 that are graduated by area and based on the level of services 3-3 provided to the service district by the consolidated city-county 3-4 government. 3-5 (h) The legislature, by special act or general law, shall 3-6 establish the procedures for the appointment of a charter 3-7 commission and for the adoption of a charter under this section. 3-8 The legislature may also include any additional guarantees or other 3-9 provisions that it considers appropriate to require in a charter 3-10 and may include any provisions necessary to coordinate the charter 3-11 with the law governing annexation. 3-12 SECTION 2. The proposed constitutional amendment shall be 3-13 submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 4, 3-14 1997. The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against 3-15 the proposition: "The constitutional amendment to permit the 3-16 voters of Bexar County and certain political subdivisions located, 3-17 in whole or in part, in Bexar County to create a more accountable, 3-18 responsive, efficient, and effective local government by adopting a 3-19 charter restructuring the county government and consolidating the 3-20 political subdivisions."