By: Guillen (Senate Sponsor - Lucio) H.B. No. 4335

(In the Senate - Received from the House May 19, 2017; May 19, 2017, read first time and referred to Committee on Administration; May 22, 2017, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 22, 2017, sent to printer.) Click here to see the committee vote

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the creation of the Willacy County Municipal Utility District No. 1; granting a limited power of eminent domain; providing authority to issue bonds; providing authority to impose assessments, fees, and taxes.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subtitle F, Title 6, Special District Local Laws Code, is amended by adding Chapter 8014 to read as follows:

CHAPTER 8014. WILLACY COUNTY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NO. 1

SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS

Sec. 8014.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:

(1) "Board" means the district's board of directors.

(2) "Commission" means the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

(3) "Director" means a board member.

(4) "District" means the Willacy County Municipal Utility District No. 1.

Sec. 8014.002. NATURE OF DISTRICT. The district is a municipal utility district created under Section 59, Article XVI, Texas Constitution.

Sec. 8014.003. CONFIRMATION AND DIRECTORS' ELECTION REQUIRED. The temporary directors shall hold an election to confirm the creation of the district and to elect five permanent directors as provided by Section 49.102, Water Code.

Sec. 8014.004. CONSENT OF MUNICIPALITY REQUIRED. The temporary directors may not hold an election under Section 8014.003 until each municipality in whose corporate limits or extraterritorial jurisdiction the district is located has consented by ordinance or resolution to the creation of the district and to the inclusion of land in the district.

Sec. 8014.005. FINDINGS OF PUBLIC PURPOSE AND BENEFIT. (a) The district is created to serve a public purpose and benefit.

(b) The district is created to accomplish the purposes of:

(1) a municipal utility district as provided by general law and Section 59, Article XVI, Texas Constitution; and

(2) Section 52, Article III, Texas Constitution, that relate to the construction, acquisition, or improvement of macadamized, graveled, or paved roads described by Section 54.234, Water Code, or improvements, including storm drainage, in aid of those roads.

Sec. 8014.006. INITIAL DISTRICT TERRITORY. (a) The district is initially composed of the territory described by Section 2 of the Act enacting this chapter.

(b) The boundaries and field notes contained in Section 2 of the Act enacting this chapter form a closure. A mistake made in the field notes or in copying the field notes in the legislative process does not affect the district's:

(1) organization, existence, or validity;

(2) right to issue any type of bond for the purposes for which the district is created or to pay the principal of and interest on a bond;

(3) right to impose a tax; or

(4) legality or operation.

SUBCHAPTER B. BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Sec. 8014.051. GOVERNING BODY; TERMS. (a) The district is governed by a board of five elected directors.

(b) Except as provided by Section 8014.052, directors serve staggered four-year terms.

Sec. 8014.052. TEMPORARY DIRECTORS. (a) The temporary board consists of:

(1) Charles E. Wetegrove;

(2) Raymond F. Wetegrove;

(3) Joseph M. Wetegrove;

(4) Fred Ballard; and

(5) Craig Childs.

(b) Temporary directors serve until the earlier of:

(1) the date permanent directors are elected under Section 8014.003; or

(2) the fourth anniversary of the effective date of the Act enacting this chapter.

(c) If permanent directors have not been elected under Section 8014.003 and the terms of the temporary directors have expired, successor temporary directors shall be appointed or reappointed as provided by Subsection (d) to serve terms that expire on the earlier of:

(1) the date permanent directors are elected under Section 8014.003; or

(2) the fourth anniversary of the date of the appointment or reappointment.

(d) If Subsection (c) applies, the owner or owners of a majority of the assessed value of the real property in the district may submit a petition to the commission requesting that the commission appoint as successor temporary directors the five persons named in the petition. The commission shall appoint as successor temporary directors the five persons named in the petition.

SUBCHAPTER C. POWERS AND DUTIES

Sec. 8014.101. GENERAL POWERS AND DUTIES. The district has the powers and duties necessary to accomplish the purposes for which the district is created.

Sec. 8014.102. MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT POWERS AND DUTIES. The district has the powers and duties provided by the general law of this state, including Chapters 49 and 54, Water Code, applicable to municipal utility districts created under Section 59, Article XVI, Texas Constitution.

Sec. 8014.103. AUTHORITY FOR ROAD PROJECTS. (a) Under Section 52, Article III, Texas Constitution, the district may design, acquire, construct, finance, issue bonds for, improve, and convey to this state, a county, or a municipality for operation and maintenance macadamized, graveled, or paved roads described by Section 54.234, Water Code, or improvements, including storm drainage, in aid of those roads.

(b) The district may exercise the powers provided by this section without submitting a petition to or obtaining approval from the commission as required by Section 54.234, Water Code.

Sec. 8014.104. APPROVAL OF ROAD PROJECT. (a) The district may not undertake a road project authorized by Section 8014.103 unless:

(1) each municipality or county that will operate and maintain the road has approved the plans and specifications of the road project, if a municipality or county will operate and maintain the road; or

(2) the Texas Transportation Commission has approved the plans and specifications of the road project, if the state will operate and maintain the road.

(b) Except as provided by Subsection (a), the district is not required to obtain approval from the Texas Transportation Commission to design, acquire, construct, finance, issue bonds for, improve, or convey a road project.

Sec. 8014.105. COMPLIANCE WITH MUNICIPAL CONSENT ORDINANCE OR RESOLUTION. The district shall comply with all applicable requirements of any ordinance or resolution that is adopted under Section 54.016 or 54.0165, Water Code, and that consents to the creation of the district or to the inclusion of land in the district.

Sec. 8014.106. DIVISION OF DISTRICT. (a) The district may be divided into two or more new districts only if:

(1) the district has no outstanding bonded debt;

(2) the district is not imposing ad valorem taxes; and

(3) the requirements of Subsection (k) have been met.

(b) This chapter applies to any new district created by the division of the district, and a new district has all the powers and duties of the district.

(c) Any new district created by the division of the district may not, at the time the new district is created, contain any land outside the area described by Section 2 of the Act creating this chapter.

(d) The board, on its own motion or on receipt of a petition signed by the owner or owners of a majority of the assessed value of the real property in the district, may adopt an order dividing the district.

(e) The board may adopt an order dividing the district before or after the date the board holds an election under Section 8014.003 to confirm the creation of the district.

(f) An order dividing the district shall:

(1) name each new district;

(2) include the metes and bounds description of the territory of each new district;

(3) appoint temporary directors for each new district; and

(4) provide for the division of assets and liabilities between or among the new districts.

(g) On or before the 30th day after the date of adoption of an order dividing the district, the district shall file the order with the commission and record the order in the real property records of each county in which the district is located.

(h) Any new district created by the division of the district shall hold a confirmation and directors' election as required by Section 8014.003.

(i) If the creation of the new district is confirmed, the new district shall provide the election date and results to the commission.

(j) Any new district created by the division of the district must hold an election as required by this chapter to obtain voter approval before the district may impose a maintenance tax or issue bonds payable wholly or partly from ad valorem taxes.

(k) If the district is located wholly or partly in the corporate limits or the extraterritorial jurisdiction of a municipality, the district may not divide under this section unless the municipality by resolution or ordinance consents to the division of the district. If the district is not located wholly or partly in the corporate limits or extraterritorial jurisdiction of a municipality, the district may not divide under this section unless the commissioners court of each county in which the district is wholly or partly located adopts a resolution or order consenting to the division of the district.

Sec. 8014.107. LIMITATION ON USE OF EMINENT DOMAIN. The district may not exercise the power of eminent domain outside the district to acquire a site or easement for:

(1) a road project authorized by Section 8014.103; or

(2) a recreational facility as defined by Section 49.462, Water Code.

SUBCHAPTER D. GENERAL FINANCIAL PROVISIONS

Sec. 8014.151. ELECTIONS REGARDING TAXES OR BONDS. (a) The district may issue, without an election, bonds and other obligations secured by revenue other than ad valorem taxes.

(b) The district must hold an election in the manner provided by Chapters 49 and 54, Water Code, to obtain voter approval before the district may impose an ad valorem tax or issue bonds payable from ad valorem taxes.

(c) The district may not issue bonds payable from ad valorem taxes to finance a road project unless the issuance is approved by a vote of a two-thirds majority of the district voters voting at an election held for that purpose.

Sec. 8014.152. OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE TAX. (a) If authorized at an election held under Section 8014.151, the district may impose an operation and maintenance tax on taxable property in the district in accordance with Section 49.107, Water Code.

(b) The board shall determine the tax rate. The rate may not exceed the rate approved at the election.

Sec. 8014.153. WATER AND SEWER RATES. Notwithstanding any other law, the district shall establish the same rates for residential and commercial classes of customers for the provision of water and sewer services. For purposes of this section, the commercial class may not include apartment complexes or other multifamily dwellings.

SUBCHAPTER E. BONDS AND OTHER OBLIGATIONS

Sec. 8014.201. AUTHORITY TO ISSUE BONDS AND OTHER OBLIGATIONS. The district may issue bonds or other obligations payable wholly or partly from ad valorem taxes, impact fees, revenue, contract payments, grants, or other district money, or any combination of those sources, to pay for any authorized district purpose.

Sec. 8014.202. TAXES FOR BONDS. At the time the district issues bonds payable wholly or partly from ad valorem taxes, the board shall provide for the annual imposition of a continuing direct ad valorem tax, without limit as to rate or amount, while all or part of the bonds are outstanding as required and in the manner provided by Sections 54.601 and 54.602, Water Code.

Sec. 8014.203. BONDS FOR ROAD PROJECTS. At the time of issuance, the total principal amount of bonds or other obligations issued or incurred to finance road projects and payable from ad valorem taxes may not exceed one-fourth of the assessed value of the real property in the district.

SECTION 2. The Willacy County Municipal Utility District No. 1 initially includes all the territory contained in the following area:

Tracts 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5, Raymond Estate Reserve out of Share Number 36, San Juan de Carricitos Grant, recorded in Volume 274, Pages 106, Official Records, Willacy County, Texas, containing 501.42 acres gross and 497.71 acres net.

SECTION 3. (a) The legal notice of the intention to introduce this Act, setting forth the general substance of this Act, has been published as provided by law, and the notice and a copy of this Act have been furnished to all persons, agencies, officials, or entities to which they are required to be furnished under Section 59, Article XVI, Texas Constitution, and Chapter 313, Government Code.

(b) The governor, one of the required recipients, has submitted the notice and Act to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

(c) The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has filed its recommendations relating to this Act with the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of representatives within the required time.

(d) All requirements of the constitution and laws of this state and the rules and procedures of the legislature with respect to the notice, introduction, and passage of this Act are fulfilled and accomplished.

SECTION 4. (a) Section 8014.107, Special District Local Laws Code, as added by Section 1 of this Act, takes effect only if this Act receives a two-thirds vote of all the members elected to each house.

(b) If this Act does not receive a two-thirds vote of all the members elected to each house, Subchapter C, Chapter 8014, Special District Local Laws Code, as added by Section 1 of this Act, is amended by adding Section 8014.107 to read as follows:

Sec. 8014.107. NO EMINENT DOMAIN POWER. The district may not exercise the power of eminent domain.

(c) This section is not intended to be an expression of a legislative interpretation of the requirements of Section 17(c), Article I, Texas Constitution.

SECTION 5. This Act takes effect June 1, 2017, if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for effect on that date, this Act takes effect September 1, 2017.

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