84R246 NC-D
 
  By: Larson H.J.R. No. 35
 
 
 
A JOINT RESOLUTION
  proposing a constitutional amendment to allow the voters of Bexar
  County to adopt a charter that restructures and empowers the county
  government and that may allow the integration of the county
  government with certain other political subdivisions located
  wholly or partly in the county.
         BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.   Article III, Texas Constitution, is amended by
  adding Section 64A to read as follows:
         Sec. 64A.  (a) Bexar County may adopt a county charter.  The
  county charter may integrate the county government with other local
  political subdivisions allowed under this section.
         (b)  The charter may:
               (1)  provide for the title, qualifications, term of
  office, powers, or duties of an office of chief elected official
  that replaces the office of county judge;
               (2)  provide for the structure, number of members,
  qualifications, terms of office, powers, duties, or other features
  of a governing body that replaces the commissioners court;
               (3)  modify the powers, duties, or functions of a
  county official that is established by another section of this
  constitution, if the charter otherwise continues all of the
  established functions of county government;
               (4)  merge the office of an elected county official
  that is established by another section of this constitution with
  the office of another county official, if the charter otherwise
  continues all of the established functions of both offices; and
               (5)  provide for the abolition of the office of an
  elected county official that is established by another section of
  this constitution, on the approval of a majority of the voters
  voting on the question in a separate election held at least one year
  after the initial election on the adoption of the charter.
         (c)  The abolition of an office under Subsection (b)(5) is
  effective at the earlier of:
               (1)  the conclusion of the regular term of the office
  holder at the time of the election to abolish the office; or
               (2)  the date the office becomes vacant.
         (d)  The charter may also integrate the county government and
  the government of any other municipality, special district or
  authority, or any other political subdivision, other than a school
  district, if:
               (1)  more than one-half of the area of the political
  subdivision to be integrated is located in the county; and
               (2)  the integration of political subdivisions
  includes the most populous municipality in the county.
         (e)  If Bexar County adopts a charter under this section, the
  powers and duties of the county are:
               (1)  the powers and duties established by the charter
  that are not inconsistent with a constitutional or statutory
  provision expressly applying to a charter county; and
               (2)  any additional powers and duties granted by this
  constitution or general law.
         (f)  If the charter integrates the county with other local
  political subdivisions under Subsection (d), the powers and duties
  of the integrated county government are also the cumulative powers
  and duties of the political subdivisions that are integrated. The
  charter may not diminish the powers, duties, and functions of a
  municipality that is not integrated with the county.
         (g)  If the charter integrates the county with other
  political subdivisions, the charter shall transfer to the county
  all the powers, duties, responsibilities, rights, privileges,
  assets, obligations, and liabilities of the integrated
  municipality, special district or authority, or other political
  subdivision.
         (h)  If a municipality that is integrated into a county
  government has extraterritorial jurisdiction outside the county,
  or if any portion of an integrated municipality, special district
  or authority, or other political subdivision is located outside the
  county, the integrated county government's powers and duties
  outside the county are limited to those powers and duties that the
  integrated political subdivision would have had in the absence of
  the governmental integration.
         (i)  A charter that integrates the county with other
  political subdivisions must establish distinct service districts
  in the area of the integrated county government that provide for
  district taxes that are graduated by area and based on the level of
  services provided to the service district by the integrated county
  government.
         (j)  Except for a constitutional or statutory provision
  expressly applying to Bexar County, a charter adopted under this
  section controls on an issue relating to the structure, powers,
  duties, functions, or governance of the county.
         (k)  The legislature, by local law or general law, shall
  establish the procedures for the appointment or election of a
  charter commission and for the adoption of a charter under this
  section.  The procedures for appointment or election of a charter
  commission must include alternative procedures to initiate the
  creation of a charter commission by action of the commissioners
  court, by action of the governing body of the most populous
  municipality in the county, or by petition of residents.  The
  legislative action may include any additional guarantees or other
  provisions that the legislature considers appropriate to require in
  a charter to protect minority voting rights. In the case of a
  charter that integrates the county with other political
  subdivisions, the legislative action may also include provisions
  to:
               (1)  protect the employees of political subdivisions
  that may become integrated under the county charter;
               (2)  coordinate the charter with the law governing
  annexation; and
               (3)  structure the governing body and the service
  districts and to allocate the debt service obligations of an
  integrated county government to ensure equity among the voters and
  taxpayers of the integrated county government.
         SECTION 2.   This proposed constitutional amendment shall be
  submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 3, 2015.
  The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the
  proposition: "The constitutional amendment to allow the voters of
  Bexar County to adopt a charter that restructures and empowers the
  county government and that may allow the integration of the county
  government with certain other political subdivisions wholly or
  partly in the county."