Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB2301 Compare Versions

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11 81R14603 JD-F
22 By: Williams S.B. No. 2301
33
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55 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
66 AN ACT
77 relating to the calculation of the ad valorem rollback tax rates of
88 certain taxing units.
99 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1010 SECTION 1. Section 26.04, Tax Code, is amended by amending
1111 Subsection (c) and adding Subsections (c-1) and (c-2) to read as
1212 follows:
1313 (c) An officer or employee designated by the governing body
1414 shall calculate the effective tax rate and the rollback tax rate for
1515 the unit, where:
1616 (1) "Effective tax rate" means a rate expressed in
1717 dollars per $100 of taxable value calculated according to the
1818 following formula:
1919 EFFECTIVE TAX RATE = (LAST YEAR'S LEVY - LOST PROPERTY LEVY) /
2020 (CURRENT TOTAL VALUE - NEW PROPERTY VALUE)
2121 ; and
2222 (2) "Rollback tax rate" means a rate expressed in
2323 dollars per $100 of taxable value calculated according to the
2424 following formula:
2525 ROLLBACK TAX RATE = (EFFECTIVE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS RATE x
2626 1.05 [1.08]) + CURRENT DEBT RATE
2727 (c-1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section,
2828 the designated officer or employee may substitute "1.08" for "1.05"
2929 in the calculation of the rollback tax rate if:
3030 (1) any part of the taxing unit is located in an area
3131 declared a disaster area by the governor or the president of the
3232 United States during the current tax year; or
3333 (2) the governing body finds that a higher tax rate is
3434 necessary to protect the health, safety, or property of persons
3535 residing in the taxing unit.
3636 (c-2) A finding under Subsection (c-1)(2) is not valid
3737 unless the finding:
3838 (1) is in the form of a resolution adopted by the
3939 governing body of the taxing unit;
4040 (2) includes a description of the harm to residents of
4141 the taxing unit that would occur if the taxing unit were subject to
4242 a five percent rollback tax rate; and
4343 (3) is approved by a record vote taken at a public
4444 meeting of the governing body.
4545 SECTION 2. Section 26.041, Tax Code, is amended by amending
4646 Subsections (a), (b), and (c) and adding Subsections (c-1) and
4747 (c-2) to read as follows:
4848 (a) In the first year in which an additional sales and use
4949 tax is required to be collected, the effective tax rate and rollback
5050 tax rate for the unit are calculated according to the following
5151 formulas:
5252 EFFECTIVE TAX RATE = [(LAST YEAR'S LEVY - LOST PROPERTY LEVY) /
5353 (CURRENT TOTAL VALUE - NEW PROPERTY VALUE)] - SALES TAX GAIN RATE
5454 and
5555 ROLLBACK TAX RATE = (EFFECTIVE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS RATE x
5656 1.05 [1.08]) + CURRENT DEBT RATE - SALES TAX GAIN RATE
5757 where "sales tax gain rate" means a number expressed in dollars per
5858 $100 of taxable value, calculated by dividing the revenue that will
5959 be generated by the additional sales and use tax in the following
6060 year as calculated under Subsection (d) [of this section] by the
6161 current total value.
6262 (b) Except as provided by Subsections (a) and (c) [of this
6363 section], in a year in which a taxing unit imposes an additional
6464 sales and use tax the rollback tax rate for the unit is calculated
6565 according to the following formula, regardless of whether the unit
6666 levied a property tax in the preceding year:
6767 ROLLBACK TAX RATE = [(LAST YEAR'S MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS
6868 EXPENSE X 1.05 [1.08]) / ([TOTAL] CURRENT TOTAL VALUE - NEW PROPERTY
6969 VALUE)] + (CURRENT DEBT RATE - SALES TAX REVENUE RATE)
7070 where "last year's maintenance and operations expense" means the
7171 amount spent for maintenance and operations from property tax and
7272 additional sales and use tax revenues in the preceding year, and
7373 "sales tax revenue rate" means a number expressed in dollars per
7474 $100 of taxable value, calculated by dividing the revenue that will
7575 be generated by the additional sales and use tax in the current year
7676 as calculated under Subsection (d) [of this section] by the current
7777 total value.
7878 (c) In a year in which a taxing unit that has been imposing
7979 an additional sales and use tax ceases to impose an additional sales
8080 and use tax the effective tax rate and rollback tax rate for the
8181 unit are calculated according to the following formulas:
8282 EFFECTIVE TAX RATE = [(LAST YEAR'S LEVY - LOST PROPERTY LEVY) /
8383 (CURRENT TOTAL VALUE - NEW PROPERTY VALUE)] + SALES TAX LOSS RATE
8484 and
8585 ROLLBACK TAX RATE = [(LAST YEAR'S MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS
8686 EXPENSE X 1.05 [1.08]) / ([TOTAL] CURRENT TOTAL VALUE - NEW PROPERTY
8787 VALUE)] + CURRENT DEBT RATE
8888 where "sales tax loss rate" means a number expressed in dollars per
8989 $100 of taxable value, calculated by dividing the amount of sales
9090 and use tax revenue generated in the last four quarters for which
9191 the information is available by the current total value and "last
9292 year's maintenance and operations expense" means the amount spent
9393 for maintenance and operations from property tax and additional
9494 sales and use tax revenues in the preceding year.
9595 (c-1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section,
9696 the designated officer or employee may substitute "1.08" for "1.05"
9797 in the calculation of the rollback tax rate if:
9898 (1) any part of the taxing unit is located in an area
9999 declared a disaster area by the governor or the president of the
100100 United States during the current tax year; or
101101 (2) the governing body finds that a higher tax rate is
102102 necessary to protect the health, safety, or property of persons
103103 residing in the taxing unit.
104104 (c-2) A finding under Subsection (c-1)(2) is not valid
105105 unless the finding is in compliance with Section 26.04(c-2).
106106 SECTION 3. Section 49.236, Water Code, as added by Chapters
107107 248 (H.B. 1541) and 335 (S.B. 392), Acts of the 78th Legislature,
108108 Regular Session, 2003, is reenacted and amended to read as follows:
109109 Sec. 49.236. NOTICE OF TAX HEARING. (a) Before the board
110110 adopts an ad valorem tax rate for the district for debt service,
111111 operation and maintenance purposes, or contract purposes, the board
112112 shall give notice of each meeting of the board at which the adoption
113113 of a tax rate will be considered. The notice must:
114114 (1) contain a statement in substantially the following
115115 form:
116116 "NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON TAX RATE
117117 "The (name of the district) will hold a public hearing on a
118118 proposed tax rate for the tax year (year of tax levy) on (date and
119119 time) at (meeting place). Your individual taxes may increase or
120120 decrease, depending on the change in the taxable value of your
121121 property in relation to the change in taxable value of all other
122122 property and the tax rate that is adopted.
123123 "(Names of all board members and, if a vote was taken, an
124124 indication of how each voted on the proposed tax rate and an
125125 indication of any absences.)";
126126 (2) contain the following information:
127127 (A) the district's total adopted tax rate for the
128128 preceding year and the proposed tax rate, expressed as an amount per
129129 $100;
130130 (B) the difference, expressed as an amount per
131131 $100 and as a percent increase or decrease, as applicable, in the
132132 proposed tax rate compared to the adopted tax rate for the preceding
133133 year;
134134 (C) the average appraised value of a residence
135135 homestead in the district in the preceding year and in the current
136136 year; the district's total homestead exemption, other than an
137137 exemption available only to disabled persons or persons 65 years of
138138 age or older, applicable to that appraised value in each of those
139139 years; and the average taxable value of a residence homestead in the
140140 district in each of those years, disregarding any homestead
141141 exemption available only to disabled persons or persons 65 years of
142142 age or older;
143143 (D) the amount of tax that would have been
144144 imposed by the district in the preceding year on a residence
145145 homestead appraised at the average appraised value of a residence
146146 homestead in that year, disregarding any homestead exemption
147147 available only to disabled persons or persons 65 years of age or
148148 older;
149149 (E) the amount of tax that would be imposed by the
150150 district in the current year on a residence homestead appraised at
151151 the average appraised value of a residence homestead in that year,
152152 disregarding any homestead exemption available only to disabled
153153 persons or persons 65 years of age or older, if the proposed tax
154154 rate is adopted; and
155155 (F) the difference between the amounts of tax
156156 calculated under Paragraphs (D) and (E), expressed in dollars and
157157 cents and described as the annual percentage increase or decrease,
158158 as applicable, in the tax to be imposed by the district on the
159159 average residence homestead in the district in the current year if
160160 the proposed tax rate is adopted; and
161161 (3) contain a statement in substantially the following
162162 form:
163163 "NOTICE OF TAXPAYERS' RIGHT TO
164164 ROLLBACK ELECTION
165165 "If taxes on the average residence homestead increase by more
166166 than five [eight] percent, the qualified voters of the district by
167167 petition may require that an election be held to determine whether
168168 to reduce the operation and maintenance tax rate to the rollback tax
169169 rate under Section 49.236(d), Water Code."
170170 (b) Notice of the hearing shall be:
171171 (1) published at least once in a newspaper having
172172 general circulation in the district at least seven days before the
173173 date of the hearing; or
174174 (2) mailed to each owner of taxable property in the
175175 district, at the address for notice shown on the most recently
176176 certified tax roll of the district, at least 10 days before the date
177177 of the hearing.
178178 (c) The notice provided under this section may not be
179179 smaller than one-quarter page of a standard-size or tabloid-size
180180 newspaper of general circulation, and the headline on the notice
181181 must be in 18-point or larger type.
182182 (d) If the governing body of a district adopts a combined
183183 debt service, operation and maintenance, and contract tax rate that
184184 would impose more than 1.05 [1.08] times the amount of tax imposed
185185 by the district in the preceding year on a residence homestead
186186 appraised at the average appraised value of a residence homestead
187187 in the district in that year, disregarding any homestead exemption
188188 available only to disabled persons or persons 65 years of age or
189189 older, the qualified voters of the district by petition may require
190190 that an election be held to determine whether [or not] to reduce the
191191 tax rate adopted for the current year to the rollback tax rate in
192192 accordance with the procedures provided by Sections 26.07(b)-(g)
193193 and 26.081, Tax Code. For purposes of Sections 26.07(b)-(g) and
194194 this subsection, the rollback tax rate is the current year's debt
195195 service and contract tax rates plus the operation and maintenance
196196 tax rate that would impose 1.05 [1.08] times the amount of the
197197 operation and maintenance tax imposed by the district in the
198198 preceding year on a residence homestead appraised at the average
199199 appraised value of a residence homestead in the district in that
200200 year, disregarding any homestead exemption available only to
201201 disabled persons or persons 65 years of age or older.
202202 (e) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section,
203203 the board may substitute "eight percent" for "five percent" in
204204 Subsection (a) and "1.08" for "1.05" in Subsection (d) if:
205205 (1) any part of the district is located in an area
206206 declared a disaster area by the governor or the president of the
207207 United States during the current tax year; or
208208 (2) the board finds that a higher tax rate is necessary
209209 to protect the health, safety, or property of persons residing in
210210 the district.
211211 (f) A finding under Subsection (e)(2) is not valid unless
212212 the finding is in compliance with Section 26.04(c-2), Tax Code.
213213 SECTION 4. (a) The change in law made by this Act applies
214214 to the ad valorem tax rate of a taxing unit beginning with the 2009
215215 tax year, except as provided by Subsection (b) of this section.
216216 (b) If the governing body of a taxing unit adopted an ad
217217 valorem tax rate for the taxing unit for the 2009 tax year before
218218 the effective date of this Act, the change in law made by this Act
219219 applies to the ad valorem tax rate of that taxing unit beginning
220220 with the 2010 tax year, and the law in effect when the tax rate was
221221 adopted applies to the 2009 tax year with respect to that taxing
222222 unit.
223223 SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
224224 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
225225 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
226226 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
227227 Act takes effect on the 91st day after the last day of the
228228 legislative session.