BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 2920
	By: Reynolds, Zerwas (Hegar)
	State Affairs
	5/4/2011
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Currently, elected officials of the City of Richmond serve for a term of two years.  The mayor and commissioners are all eligible for election on the same uniform election day in May every even year.  With this current structure, a complete turnover of its elected officials in one year could occur, and thereby losing all experienced elected officials.  Currently, there is no provision in the Local Government Code allowing a General Law C city to adopt by ordinance the manner in which it elects its officials.

H.B. 2920 amends current law relating to the authority of a governing body of a Type C General Law City to adopt an ordinance to determine the manner of when commissioners run for elected office.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 24.023, Local Government Code, as follows:

Sec. 24.023.  REGULAR TERM OF OFFICE;  REGULAR ELECTION DATE.  (a)  Provides that the mayor and commissioners of the municipality serve for a term of two years unless a longer term is established under Article XI (Municipal Corporations), Section 11 (Terms of Office Exceeding Two Years in Home Rule and General Law Cities; Vacancies), of the Texas Constitution.

(b)  Requires the election for mayor and commissioners to be held on an authorized uniform election date as provided by Chapter 41 (Election Dates and Hours for Voting), Election Code.

(c)  Requires the first regular election to be on an authorized uniform election date occurring:

(1)  in the case of a community incorporating as a Type C general-law municipality, within one year after the expiration of the month in which the incorporation election is held;  or

(2)  in the case of a municipality changing to a Type C general-law municipality, within one year after the month in which the election on the change is held.

(d)  Authorizes a governing body, in a city incorporated under this chapter with a population of over 10,000 residents, to adopt an ordinance to determine if commissioners may be elected in alternate years or in the same election year.  Requires that elections under this subsection be held on an authorized uniform election date as provided by Chapter 41, Election Code.

SECTION 2.  Provides that the change in law made by Section 1 of this Act applies only to a General Law C city with a population over 10,000.

SECTION 3.  Effective date:  September 1, 2011.