BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center S.B. 986
AUTHOR'S/SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Under current law, the Wes-Tex Groundwater Conservation District, located entirely in Nolan County, must re-elect all eight of its directors each time the county commissioners precincts are redrawn because the directors are also elected by the designated precincts. The law also states that the election of directors must occur in May, which is costly.
S.B. 986 allows the current directors of the district to remain in their positions after a redrawing of the precinct boundaries until the end of their terms. The bill also allows for the election of the directors to occur at the same time as the county commissioners elections in November of even-numbered years. This will help ensure a greater voter turnout for the district and save the taxpayers of Nolan County money that would be spent on duplicate elections.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 9(e), Chapter 1473, Acts of the 77th Legislature, Regular Session, 2001, to require, when the boundaries of the county commissioners precincts are redrawn, a director (on the board of directors of the Wes-Tex Groundwater Conservation District) in office on the effective date of the change, or elected or appointed before the effective date of the change to a term of office beginning on or after the effective date of the change, to serve the term or the remainder of the term in the precinct to which elected or appointed even though the change in boundaries places the person's residence outside the precinct for which the person was elected or appointed. Deletes the requirement that, at the first election after the county commissioners precincts are redrawn, eight new directors be elected to represent the precincts. Deletes the reference to the lengths of the directors' terms.
SECTION 2. Amends Chapter 1473, Acts of the 77th Legislature, Regular Session, 2001, by amending Section 11 and adding Section 11A, as follows:
Sec 11. ELECTION OF DIRECTORS. Requires the appropriate number of directors to be elected on the uniform election date in November of each even-numbered year. Deletes references to the initial election of the directors and subsequent elections of directors in May.
Sec. 11A. ELECTION OF DIRECTORS IN 2006 AND 2008. Requires elections for certain directors to be held in November 2006 and 2008 and sets forth which director positions are up for reelection in which year. Sets forth the expiration dates of the terms.
SECTION 3. Sets forth the expiration dates of the terms of the directors serving on the effective date of this Act.
SECTION 4. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2005.