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A JOINT RESOLUTION
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proposing a constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature |
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to permit conservation and reclamation districts in El Paso County |
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to issue bonds supported by ad valorem taxes to fund the development |
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and maintenance of parks and recreational facilities. |
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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 59(c-1), Article XVI, Texas |
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Constitution, is amended to read as follows: |
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(c-1) In addition and only as provided by this subsection, |
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the Legislature may authorize conservation and reclamation |
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districts to develop and finance with taxes those types and |
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categories of parks and recreational facilities that were not |
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authorized by this section to be developed and financed with taxes |
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before September 13, 2003. For development of such parks and |
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recreational facilities, the Legislature may authorize |
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indebtedness payable from taxes as may be necessary to provide for |
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improvements and maintenance only for a conservation and |
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reclamation district all or part of which is located in Bexar |
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County, Bastrop County, Waller County, Travis County, Williamson |
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County, Harris County, Galveston County, Brazoria County, Fort Bend |
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County, [or] Montgomery County, or El Paso County, or for the |
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Tarrant Regional Water District, a water control and improvement |
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district located in whole or in part in Tarrant County. All the |
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indebtedness may be evidenced by bonds of the conservation and |
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reclamation district, to be issued under regulations as may be |
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prescribed by law. The Legislature may also authorize the levy and |
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collection within such district of all taxes, equitably |
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distributed, as may be necessary for the payment of the interest and |
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the creation of a sinking fund for the payment of the bonds and for |
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maintenance of and improvements to such parks and recreational |
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facilities. The indebtedness shall be a lien on the property |
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assessed for the payment of the bonds. The Legislature may not |
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authorize the issuance of bonds or provide for indebtedness under |
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this subsection against a conservation and reclamation district |
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unless a proposition is first submitted to the qualified voters of |
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the district and the proposition is adopted. This subsection |
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expands the authority of the Legislature with respect to certain |
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conservation and reclamation districts and is not a limitation on |
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the authority of the Legislature with respect to conservation and |
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reclamation districts and parks and recreational facilities |
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pursuant to this section as that authority existed before September |
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13, 2003. |
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SECTION 2. The legislature intends by the amendment |
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proposed by Section 1 of this resolution to expand the authority of |
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the legislature with regard to conservation and reclamation |
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districts in El Paso County. The proposed amendment should not be |
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construed as a limitation on the powers of the legislature or of a |
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district with respect to parks and recreational facilities as those |
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powers exist immediately before the amendment takes effect. |
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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 8, 2011. |
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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 conservation and reclamation districts in El |
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Paso County to issue bonds supported by ad valorem taxes to fund the |
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development and maintenance of parks and recreational facilities." |