1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the fiscal year and the date of elections of the
1-3 Stratford Hospital District.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Section 6, Chapter 470, Acts of the 61st
1-6 Legislature, Regular Session, 1969, is amended to read as follows:
1-7 Sec. 6. The district shall be operated on the basis of a
1-8 fiscal year commencing on September 1 [July 1] of each year and
1-9 ending on August 31 [June 30] of the following year, and it shall
1-10 cause an independent audit to be made of the financial condition of
1-11 said district, which, together with other records of the district,
1-12 shall be open to inspection at the principal office of the
1-13 district, such audit to be made covering such fiscal year, and the
1-14 same shall be filed at the office of the district as soon as it is
1-15 completed. The administrator or manager shall prepare an annual
1-16 budget for approval by the board of directors. The budget shall
1-17 also contain a complete financial statement of the district showing
1-18 all outstanding obligations of the district, the cash on hand to
1-19 the credit of each and every fund of the district, the funds
1-20 received from all sources during the previous year, the funds
1-21 available from all sources during the ensuing year, with balances
1-22 expected at end of the year in which the budget is being prepared,
1-23 and estimated revenues and balances available to cover the proposed
1-24 budget and the estimated tax rate which will be required, and the
1-25 proposed expenditures and disbursements and the estimated receipts
2-1 and collections for the following fiscal year. A public hearing on
2-2 the annual budget shall be held by the board of directors after
2-3 notice of such hearing has been published one time at least 10 days
2-4 before the date set therefor. Notice of the budget hearing shall
2-5 be published in a newspaper or newspapers which individually or
2-6 collectively provide general circulation in the hospital district.
2-7 Any property taxpayer of the district shall have the right to be
2-8 present and participate in said hearing. At the conclusion of the
2-9 hearing, the budget, as proposed by the administrator, shall be
2-10 acted upon by the board of directors. The board of directors shall
2-11 have authority to make such changes in the budget as in their
2-12 judgment the law warrants and the interest of the taxpayers demand.
2-13 No expenditure may be made for any expense not included in the
2-14 annual budget or an amendment thereto. The annual budget may be
2-15 amended from time to time as the circumstances may require, but the
2-16 annual budget, and all amendments thereto, shall be approved by the
2-17 board of directors. As soon as practicable after the close of each
2-18 fiscal year, the administrator or manager shall prepare for the
2-19 board a full sworn statement of all moneys belonging to the
2-20 district and a full account of the disbursements of same.
2-21 SECTION 2. Subsection (c), Section 4, Chapter 470, Acts of
2-22 the 61st Legislature, Regular Session, 1969, is amended to read as
2-23 follows:
2-24 (c) Directors shall serve staggered terms with three
2-25 directors elected one year and two directors elected the next year.
2-26 Directors shall be elected by vote of the electors of the entire
3-1 district for two year terms. An election to elect an appropriate
3-2 number of directors shall be held on the first [third] Saturday in
3-3 May of each year. Notice of each such election shall be published
3-4 in a newspaper or newspapers which individually or collectively
3-5 provide general circulation in the district one time at least 30
3-6 days prior to the date of the election. Any person desiring to
3-7 have his name printed on the ballot as a candidate for director
3-8 shall file an application with the secretary of the board of
3-9 directors. Such application shall be filed with the secretary not
3-10 less than 30 days nor more than 60 days prior to the date of the
3-11 election. Vacancies in office shall be filled for the unexpired
3-12 term of the remainder of the permanent directors. Each member of
3-13 the board of directors shall execute a good and sufficient bond for
3-14 $1,000 payable to said district conditioned upon the faithful
3-15 performance of his duties, and each bond shall be purchased at the
3-16 expense of the district.
3-17 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
_______________________________ _______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 726 passed the Senate on
March 15, 2001, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0, one
present, not voting.
_______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 726 passed the House on
May 8, 2001, by a non-record vote.
_______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
Approved:
_______________________________
Date
_______________________________
Governor