BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center S.B. 1157
80R7882 ATP-F By: Fraser
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Under current law, in municipalities that have fewer than 400 qualified voters, a petition to abolish the municipality's corporate existence must be signed by at least 50 qualified voters. If that threshold is met, the mayor is required to order an election on the question of abolishment.
As of 2007, the City of Impact has a population of 31, down from 39 in the 2000 census, and therefore cannot meet the statutory threshold. The City of Impact is located in Taylor County and is entirely surrounded by the City of Abilene.
As proposed, S.B. 1157 authorizes an election for the abolishment of a municipality's corporate existence to be held if the required petition is signed by one-fourth of the registered voters, but the required vote for the abolishment of the municipality's corporate existence remains a majority vote.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 62.002(a), Local Government Code, as follows:
(a) Sets forth procedural guidelines for the abolishment of a municipality's corporate existence. Requires the petition for an election to abolish the corporate existence of a municipality of less than 400 qualified voters that has no municipal debt and does not provide services that would be otherwise provided by the county to be signed by at least one-fourth, rather than 50, of the qualified voters in the municipality.
SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage, or September 1, 2007.