| TO: | Honorable Troy Fraser, Chair, Senate Committee on Business & Commerce |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB1524 by Guillen (Relating to sports and community venue projects.), As Engrossed |
The bill would add Section 334.008 to Subchapter A, Chapter 334, Local Government Code, to authorize a county located on an international border with a population of less than 15,000 and that contains no incorporated territory of a municipality to provide for the planning, acquisition, establishment, development, construction, or renovation of a county parks and recreation system as a venue project.
The bill would add Section 334.0242 to Subchapter B, Chapter 334, Local Government Code, to authorize the governing body of a county or municipality in which one or more methods of financing a sports or community venue project have been approved at an election, to order an election on the question of approving the use of revenue derived from one or more approved methods to finance a related venue project.
If a county affected by the proposed Section 334.008 were to provide for the planning, acquisition, establishment, development, construction, or renovation of a county parks and recreation system as a venue project, it is assumed it would do so provided only if any associated costs could be absorbed within the county's budget or recouped in an applicable manner.
If a governing body were to choose to hold an election as authorized by the provisions of the bill, the entity would incur election-related costs. Based on a sampling of municipalities and special districts self-reporting data for calendar year 2006 and a sampling of counties self-reporting data for calendar year 2005 to the Secretary of State’s Office, the average cost incurred by a local government entity for conducting an election would range from $0.70 to $1.25 per registered voter. The total election costs would vary by local government entity depending on the number of voters registered in each.
| Source Agencies: |
| LBB Staff: | JOB, JRO, CT, DB
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