LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD Austin, Texas FISCAL NOTE, 76th Regular Session April 8, 1999 TO: Honorable Frank Madla, Chair, Senate Committee on Intergovernmental Relations FROM: John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board IN RE: SB 1609 by Lucio (relating to emergency service districts), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted ************************************************************************** * No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated. * ************************************************************************** Local Government Impact The bill's provision reducing the maximum property tax rate that a fire prevention district converting to an emergency services district from 6 cents to 3 cents on each $100 of taxable property value would reduce the potential property tax revenues such a district could expect to collect by one half. The bill would provide greater financial flexibility to emergency services districts, since it would allow them to borrow money. The bill could provide savings to districts being created in more than one county, since it would allow elections for the initial commissioners on one of the four uniform statewide election dates, rather than a non-uniform election date in November. Allowing a district to hold such elections on uniform dates would increase the likelihood that an election be held in conjunction with another previously scheduled election. A district holding an election in conjunction with another entity would share election costs, rather than pay the entire election cost. Source Agencies: LBB Staff: JK, TL