Honorable Robert Nichols, Chair, Senate Committee on Transportation
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB2300 by Keffer (Relating to funding and donations for county transportation projects, including projects of county energy transportation reinvestment zones.), As Engrossed
No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would amend Chapter 222 of the Transportation Code relating to the creation of County Energy Transportation Reinvestment Zones. The commissioners court of a county, after determining that an area is affected by oil and gas exploration and production activities may designate a contiguous geographic area in the jurisdiction of the county to be a transportation reinvestment zone (TRZ) to promote a transportation project.
The bill would authorize the county commissioners to pay an amount equal to the tax increment produced by the county into a tax increment account less any amounts allocated under previous agreements to construct or maintain roads in the zone.
The bill would establish requirements regarding an advisory board for the zone; and for the creation of a Road Utility District (RUD). The RUD may issue bonds and pledge all or a specified amount of money in the tax increment account to secure bonds. The commissioners court would be authorized to accept donations of labor, money or other property to aid in the building or maintaining of roads in the county or counties.
According to the Comptroller of Public Accounts, the provisions of the bill would have no fiscal impact on state revenues or on the state.
According to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), the provisions of the bill would have no fiscal impact to TxDOT or the State Highway Fund.
Local Government Impact
There could be a positive fiscal impact to counties that established a transportation reinvestment zone to generate additional revenue; however, the amounts would vary depending on whether a TRZ was created, the amount of additional revenue generated and the number of transportation projects in a locality. In addition, the additional revenue would offset some of the costs for a transportation project.
Source Agencies:
304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 601 Department of Transportation