BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

                                                                                                                                              S.B. 833

                                                                                                                                            By: Lucio

                                                                                                                                    County Affairs

                                                                                                       Committee Report (Unamended)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

Current statute limits the amount of compensation a county auditor is authorized to receive to no more than the compensation granted to the highest paid elected county official. This creates difficulties attracting a professional auditor for counties where compensation of the highest paid official is set at an amount that is insufficient to hire an auditor.

 

As proposed, S.B. 833 authorizes counties with a population of more than 1,000 and less than 21,000 that border the Gulf of Mexico to set the compensation and allowances for the county auditor at an amount that exceeds the statutory limit if the amount is approved by the commissioners court of the county. This bill only affects Calhoun and Willacy counties.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. 

 

ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 152.032(d), Local Government Code, as follows:

 

(d)  Provides that this subsection applies only to  a county with a population of 500,000 or more, excluding a county subject to Subsection (b), or a county with a population of more than 1,000 and less than 21,000 that borders the Gulf of Mexico.  Authorizes the amount of the compensation and allowances of a county auditor in a county subject to this subsection to be set in an amount that exceeds the limit established in Subsection (a) if the compensation and allowances are approved by the commissioners court of the county.

 

SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2007.

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

Upon passage, or, if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2007.