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proposing a constitutional amendment authorizing a municipal |
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charter amendment election to be held on certain election dates. |
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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 5(a), Article XI, Texas Constitution, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(a) Cities having more than five thousand (5000) |
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inhabitants may, by a majority vote of the qualified voters of said |
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city, at an election held for that purpose, adopt or amend their |
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charters. An election to amend a charter may be held on an election |
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date prescribed by the Legislature. If the number of inhabitants of |
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cities that have adopted or amended their charters under this |
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section is reduced to five thousand (5000) or fewer, the cities |
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still may amend their charters by a majority vote of the qualified |
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voters of said city at an election held for that purpose. The |
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adoption or amendment of charters is subject to such limitations as |
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may be prescribed by the Legislature, and no charter or any |
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ordinance passed under said charter shall contain any provision |
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inconsistent with the Constitution of the State, or of the general |
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laws enacted by the Legislature of this State. Said cities may |
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levy, assess and collect such taxes as may be authorized by law or |
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by their charters; but no tax for any purpose shall ever be lawful |
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for any one year, which shall exceed two and one-half per cent. of |
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the taxable property of such city, and no debt shall ever be created |
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by any city, unless at the same time provision be made to assess and |
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collect annually a sufficient sum to pay the interest thereon and |
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creating a sinking fund of at least two per cent. thereon, except as |
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provided by Subsection (b). Furthermore, no city charter shall be |
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altered, amended or repealed oftener than every two years, except |
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that a subsequent charter election may be held on a date prescribed |
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by the Legislature even if that date falls a number of days short of |
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two years. |
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SECTION 2. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be |
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submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 7, 2017. |
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The ballot shall be printed to provide for voting for or against the |
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proposition: "The constitutional amendment authorizing a |
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municipal charter amendment election to be held on an election date |
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prescribed by the legislature." |