1-1 By: Bivins S.B. No. 726
1-2 (In the Senate - Filed February 15, 2001; February 19, 2001,
1-3 read first time and referred to Committee on Intergovernmental
1-4 Relations; March 8, 2001, reported favorably by the following vote:
1-5 Yeas 5, Nays 0; March 8, 2001, sent to printer.)
1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-7 AN ACT
1-8 relating to the fiscal year and the date of elections of the
1-9 Stratford Hospital District.
1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11 SECTION 1. Section 6, Chapter 470, Acts of the 61st
1-12 Legislature, Regular Session, 1969, is amended to read as follows:
1-13 Sec. 6. The district shall be operated on the basis of a
1-14 fiscal year commencing on September 1 [July 1] of each year and
1-15 ending on August 31 [June 30] of the following year, and it shall
1-16 cause an independent audit to be made of the financial condition of
1-17 said district, which, together with other records of the district,
1-18 shall be open to inspection at the principal office of the
1-19 district, such audit to be made covering such fiscal year, and the
1-20 same shall be filed at the office of the district as soon as it is
1-21 completed. The administrator or manager shall prepare an annual
1-22 budget for approval by the board of directors. The budget shall
1-23 also contain a complete financial statement of the district showing
1-24 all outstanding obligations of the district, the cash on hand to
1-25 the credit of each and every fund of the district, the funds
1-26 received from all sources during the previous year, the funds
1-27 available from all sources during the ensuing year, with balances
1-28 expected at end of the year in which the budget is being prepared,
1-29 and estimated revenues and balances available to cover the proposed
1-30 budget and the estimated tax rate which will be required, and the
1-31 proposed expenditures and disbursements and the estimated receipts
1-32 and collections for the following fiscal year. A public hearing on
1-33 the annual budget shall be held by the board of directors after
1-34 notice of such hearing has been published one time at least 10 days
1-35 before the date set therefor. Notice of the budget hearing shall
1-36 be published in a newspaper or newspapers which individually or
1-37 collectively provide general circulation in the hospital district.
1-38 Any property taxpayer of the district shall have the right to be
1-39 present and participate in said hearing. At the conclusion of the
1-40 hearing, the budget, as proposed by the administrator, shall be
1-41 acted upon by the board of directors. The board of directors shall
1-42 have authority to make such changes in the budget as in their
1-43 judgment the law warrants and the interest of the taxpayers demand.
1-44 No expenditure may be made for any expense not included in the
1-45 annual budget or an amendment thereto. The annual budget may be
1-46 amended from time to time as the circumstances may require, but the
1-47 annual budget, and all amendments thereto, shall be approved by the
1-48 board of directors. As soon as practicable after the close of each
1-49 fiscal year, the administrator or manager shall prepare for the
1-50 board a full sworn statement of all moneys belonging to the
1-51 district and a full account of the disbursements of same.
1-52 SECTION 2. Subsection (c), Section 4, Chapter 470, Acts of
1-53 the 61st Legislature, Regular Session, 1969, is amended to read as
1-54 follows:
1-55 (c) Directors shall serve staggered terms with three
1-56 directors elected one year and two directors elected the next year.
1-57 Directors shall be elected by vote of the electors of the entire
1-58 district for two year terms. An election to elect an appropriate
1-59 number of directors shall be held on the first [third] Saturday in
1-60 May of each year. Notice of each such election shall be published
1-61 in a newspaper or newspapers which individually or collectively
1-62 provide general circulation in the district one time at least 30
1-63 days prior to the date of the election. Any person desiring to
1-64 have his name printed on the ballot as a candidate for director
2-1 shall file an application with the secretary of the board of
2-2 directors. Such application shall be filed with the secretary not
2-3 less than 30 days nor more than 60 days prior to the date of the
2-4 election. Vacancies in office shall be filled for the unexpired
2-5 term of the remainder of the permanent directors. Each member of
2-6 the board of directors shall execute a good and sufficient bond for
2-7 $1,000 payable to said district conditioned upon the faithful
2-8 performance of his duties, and each bond shall be purchased at the
2-9 expense of the district.
2-10 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
2-11 * * * * *