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proposing a constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature |
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to permit the voters of a municipality with a population of less |
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than 10,000 to authorize the governing body of the municipality to |
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enter into an agreement with an owner of real property in or |
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adjacent to an area in the municipality that has been approved for |
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funding under certain revitalization or redevelopment programs to |
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prohibit ad valorem tax increases on the owner's property for a |
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limited period. |
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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Article VIII, Texas Constitution, is amended by |
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adding Section 1-o to read as follows: |
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Sec. 1-o. To aid in the elimination of slum and blighted |
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conditions in less populated communities in this state, to promote |
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rural economic development in this state, and to improve the |
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economy of this state, the legislature by general law may authorize |
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the governing body of a municipality having a population of less |
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than 10,000, in the manner required by law, to call an election to |
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permit the voters to determine by majority vote whether to |
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authorize the governing body of the municipality to enter into an |
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agreement with an owner of real property that is located in or |
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adjacent to a designated area of the municipality that has been |
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approved for funding under the Downtown Revitalization Program |
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or the Main Street Improvements Program administered by the |
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Department of Agriculture, or a successor program administered by |
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that agency, under which the parties agree that the ad valorem taxes |
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imposed by any political subdivision on the owner's real property |
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may not be increased for the first five tax years after the tax year |
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in which the agreement is entered into, subject to the terms and |
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conditions provided by the agreement. A general law enacted under |
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this section must provide that, if authorized by the voters, an |
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agreement to limit ad valorem tax increases authorized by this |
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section: |
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(1) must be entered into by the governing body of the |
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municipality and a property owner before December 31 of the tax year |
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in which the election was held; |
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(2) takes effect as to a parcel of real property on |
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January 1 of the tax year following the tax year in which the |
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governing body and the property owner enter into the agreement; |
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(3) applies to ad valorem taxes imposed by any |
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political subdivision on the real property covered by the |
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agreement; and |
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(4) expires on the earlier of: |
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(A) January 1 of the sixth tax year following the |
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tax year in which the governing body and the property owner enter |
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into the agreement; or |
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(B) January 1 of the first tax year in which the |
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owner of the property when the agreement was entered into ceases to |
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own the property. |
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SECTION 2. The following temporary provision is added to |
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the Texas Constitution: |
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TEMPORARY PROVISION. (a) This temporary provision applies |
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to the constitutional amendment proposed by the 80th Legislature, |
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Regular Session, 2007, authorizing the legislature to permit the |
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voters of a municipality having a population of less than 10,000 to |
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authorize the governing body of the municipality to enter into an |
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agreement with an owner of real property in or adjacent to an area |
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in the municipality that has been approved for funding under |
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certain revitalization or redevelopment programs to prohibit ad |
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valorem tax increases on the owner's property for a limited period |
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and expires January 1, 2009. |
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(b) Section 1-o, Article VIII, of this constitution takes |
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effect January 1, 2008, and applies only to a tax year that begins |
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on or after that date. |
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SECTION 3. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be |
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submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 6, 2007. |
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The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the |
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proposition: "The constitutional amendment authorizing the |
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legislature to permit the voters of a municipality having a |
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population of less than 10,000 to authorize the governing body of |
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the municipality to enter into an agreement with an owner of real |
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property in or adjacent to an area in the municipality that has been |
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approved for funding under certain programs administered by the |
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Texas Department of Agriculture under which the parties agree that |
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all ad valorem taxes imposed on the owner's property may not be |
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increased for the first five tax years after the tax year in which |
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the agreement is entered into." |