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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the election of the governing body of certain |
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municipalities. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 26, Local Government Code, |
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is amended by adding Section 26.048 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 26.048. CERTAIN MUNICIPALITIES WITH POPULATION OF |
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500,000 OR MORE: ELECTION FROM SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS. (a) The |
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governing body of a municipality with a population of 500,000 or |
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more must consist of a mayor elected at large and at least six |
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members elected from single-member districts. A member must reside |
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in the district the member represents. |
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(b) The municipality may provide for the staggering of the |
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terms of the members of the municipality's governing body. |
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(c) A single-member district must be compact and consist of |
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contiguous territory. To the extent practicable, all single-member |
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districts must be of equal population. |
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(d) This section does not prevent a municipality from having |
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additional members elected to the governing body from the |
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municipality at-large. |
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(e) A municipality must comply with this section beginning |
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with the first general election of members to the municipality's |
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governing body that occurs after the year in which the federal |
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decennial census indicates that the municipality meets the |
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population requirements of Subsection (a). |
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SECTION 2. A municipality to which Section 26.048, Local |
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Government Code, as added by this Act, applies on the effective date |
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of this Act must comply with the requirements of that section |
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beginning with the first general election of members to the |
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municipality's governing body that occurs after December 31, 2009. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |