LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD Austin, Texas FISCAL NOTE 75th Regular Session March 19, 1997 TO: Honorable Paul Sadler, Chair IN RE: Senate Bill No. 232, As Engrossed Committee on Public Education By: Carona House Austin, Texas FROM: John Keel, Director In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on SB232 ( Relating to an optional majority vote requirement for election of trustees in certain independent school districts.) this office has detemined the following: Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by SB232-As Engrossed No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated. The fiscal implication to units of local government is described below. Bill Summary This bill would amend Section 11.057 of the Texas Education Code to allow single-member or by-place independent school districts electing trustees to modify their voting rules to permit the adoption of a majority (as opposed to a plurality) vote requirement. This legislation would take effect September 1, 1997. History By-place systems previously were allowed to elect by majority but this language was not retained in Senate Bill 1 (1995). Thus, under current law, the Election Code's general provision that candidates win by plurality unless otherwise provided prevails. This bill would restore majority vote as an option. Administrative Costs to Local Government Districts that chose a majority vote requirement could incur additional costs due to special elections for races in which no candidate receives a majority vote. No information is available as to the number of districts that could choose this option or the number of special elections that could be necessary from such decisions. Local election costs vary widely by district. If a special election is held on the same date as another state or local election, there would be no significant fiscal impact to the local government to add the language associated with this item to the ballot. If the election were held specifically for the purpose of electing district trustees, the local government would absorb all costs associated with the election. According to data collected in a random survey of eight counties conducted by the Texas Association of Counties, the cost of a local option election ranges from approximately $0.12 per county resident to $1.14 per county resident, with a median per county resident cost of $0.40. Per resident local school district election costs are estimated to be equal to per resident county election costs. Continuing Fiscal Implications - Local The fiscal implications described above would likely continue beyond 2002. Source: Agencies: 307 Secretary of State 701 Texas Education Agency - Administration LBB Staff: JK ,DH ,LP ,GJ