LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE
75th Regular Session
March 11, 1997
TO: Honorable Kenneth Armbrister, Chair IN RE: Senate Bill No. 993
Committee on State Affairs By: Cain
Senate
Austin, Texas
FROM: John Keel, Director
In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on SB993 ( Relating
to the election of the office of precinct chair of a political
party.) this office has detemined the following:
Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by SB993-As Introduced
Implementing the provisions of the bill would result in a net
positive impact of $578,550 to General Revenue Related Funds
through the biennium ending August 31, 1999.
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would provide that if there is only one candidate's
name on the ballot for precinct chair, that candidate would
be declared elected if otherwise qualified, and a notice to
the voters would be posted at the polling place. If no candidate
files for precinct chair, the party's executive committee would
fill the vacancy in the regular manner, and the office of precinct
chair would not go on the ballot. A candidate would have to
file as write-in candidate in order to run for precinct chair,
and the filing deadline and any extension would be the same
as for regular candidates. Votes written in for a candidate
other than a declared write-in candidate would not be counted.
The
Secretary of State would prescribe any procedures necessary
to implement the provisions of this bill.
Methodolgy
The Secretary of State estimates that there is a $25.00 "plate
charge" for printing the office of precinct chair for each of
the 17,400 precincts in Texas. The Secretary of State also
states that only five percent of the precincts in the state
(870 precincts) currently have an opposed office of precinct
chair on the ballot, and 16,530 precincts do not . The bill
would result in a saving on the "plate charge" of $413,250 (16,530
x $25.00).
In addition, the Secretary of State estimates
that $10.00 per polling place would be saved for the reduced
amount of time in counting the race for precinct chair in unopposed
races, resulting in a savings of $165,300 (16,530 x $10.00).
The probable fiscal implications of implementing the provisions
of the bill during each of the first five years following passage
is estimated as follows:
Five Year Impact:
Fiscal Year Probable
Savings/(Cost)
from General
Revenue Fund
0001
1998 $578,550
1998 0
2000 578,550
2001 0
2002 578,550
Net Impact on General Revenue Related Funds:
Fiscal Year Probable Net Postive/(Negative)
General Revenue Related Funds
Funds
1998 $578,550
1999 0
2000 578,550
2001 0
2002 578,550
Similar annual fiscal implications would continue as long as
the provisions of the bill are in effect.
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source: Agencies: 307 Secretary of State
LBB Staff: JK ,JD ,PE ,JC