HBA-MSH C.S.H.B. 2751 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 2751
By: Jones, Elizabeth
County Affairs
4/17/2001
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Current law prohibits the amount of compensation and allowances of a county
auditor from exceeding the amount of compensation and allowances received
from all sources by the highest paid elected county officer other than a
judge of a statutory county court.  This limit makes it more difficult to
attract experienced and qualified candidates for a position as a county
auditor, especially in larger cities where the local competition for
individuals with auditing skills is greater.  C.S.H.B. 2751 allows the
salary of a county auditor in specified counties to be the same as the
amount paid to the county budget officer. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 2751 amends the Local Government Code to prohibit the amount of
the compensation and allowances of a county auditor from exceeding the
amount of the compensation and allowances received from all sources by the
county budget officer.  If the county hires a county budget officer at a
salary lower than the salary of the previous county budget officer, the
bill prohibits the county auditor's salary from being reduced on that
basis.  The bill provides that these provisions apply only to a county that
employ an arena venue project manager hired as of March 7, 2001 and that
has a population of less than 1.4 million in which a municipality with a
population of more than one million is located. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 2751 differs from the original by applying the limits on a county
auditor's salary only to certain counties.  The substitute also provides
that if the county hires a county budget officer at a salary lower than the
salary of the previous county budget officer, the county auditor's salary
may not be reduced on that basis.