Texas 2011 - 82nd Regular

Texas House Bill HB868 Latest Draft

Bill / Introduced Version

Download
.pdf .doc .html
                            82R4367 SMH-D
 By: Huberty H.B. No. 868


 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 AN ACT
 relating to the calculation of the rollback tax rate of a taxing
 unit other than a school district.
 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 SECTION 1.  Section 26.012, Tax Code, is amended by adding
 Subdivisions (2-a) and (10-a) to read as follows:
 (2-a)  "Consumer price index" means the index that the
 comptroller considers to most accurately report changes in the
 purchasing power of the dollar for consumers in this state.
 (10-a)  "Inflation rate" means the amount, expressed in
 decimal form rounded to the nearest thousandth, computed by
 determining the percentage change in the consumer price index for
 the most recent 12-month period for which the index can be
 determined as compared to the consumer price index for the 12-month
 period preceding that period.
 SECTION 2.  Chapter 26, Tax Code, is amended by adding
 Section 26.013 to read as follows:
 Sec. 26.013.  INFLATION RATE. By July 1 or as soon
 thereafter as practicable, the comptroller shall determine the
 inflation rate for the current year and publish that rate in the
 Texas Register.
 SECTION 3.  Section 26.04(c), Tax Code, is amended to read as
 follows:
 (c)  An officer or employee designated by the governing body
 shall calculate the effective tax rate and the rollback tax rate for
 the unit, where:
 (1)  "Effective tax rate" means a rate expressed in
 dollars per $100 of taxable value calculated according to the
 following formula:
 EFFECTIVE TAX RATE = (LAST YEAR'S LEVY - LOST PROPERTY LEVY) /
 (CURRENT TOTAL VALUE - NEW PROPERTY VALUE)
 ; and
 (2)  "Rollback tax rate" means a rate expressed in
 dollars per $100 of taxable value calculated according to the
 following formula:
 ROLLBACK TAX RATE = [[(]EFFECTIVE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS RATE
 x (1 + LESSER OF INFLATION RATE OR 0.05 [1.08])] + CURRENT DEBT RATE
 SECTION 4.  Sections 26.041(a), (b), and (c), Tax Code, are
 amended to read as follows:
 (a)  In the first year in which an additional sales and use
 tax is required to be collected, the effective tax rate and rollback
 tax rate for the unit are calculated according to the following
 formulas:
 EFFECTIVE TAX RATE = [(LAST YEAR'S LEVY - LOST PROPERTY LEVY) /
 (CURRENT TOTAL VALUE - NEW PROPERTY VALUE)] - SALES TAX GAIN RATE
 and
 ROLLBACK TAX RATE = [[(]EFFECTIVE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS RATE
 x (1 + LESSER OF INFLATION RATE OR 0.05 [1.08])] + CURRENT DEBT RATE
 - SALES TAX GAIN RATE
 where "sales tax gain rate" means a number expressed in dollars per
 $100 of taxable value, calculated by dividing the revenue that will
 be generated by the additional sales and use tax in the following
 year as calculated under Subsection (d) [of this section] by the
 current total value.
 (b)  Except as provided by Subsections (a) and (c) [of this
 section], in a year in which a taxing unit imposes an additional
 sales and use tax the rollback tax rate for the unit is calculated
 according to the following formula, regardless of whether the unit
 levied a property tax in the preceding year:
 ROLLBACK TAX RATE = [[(]LAST YEAR'S MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS
 EXPENSE x (1 + LESSER OF INFLATION RATE OR 0.05 [1.08]) / ([TOTAL]
 CURRENT TOTAL VALUE - NEW PROPERTY VALUE)] + (CURRENT DEBT RATE -
 SALES TAX REVENUE RATE)
 where "last year's maintenance and operations expense" means the
 amount spent for maintenance and operations from property tax and
 additional sales and use tax revenues in the preceding year, and
 "sales tax revenue rate" means a number expressed in dollars per
 $100 of taxable value, calculated by dividing the revenue that will
 be generated by the additional sales and use tax in the current year
 as calculated under Subsection (d) [of this section] by the current
 total value.
 (c)  In a year in which a taxing unit that has been imposing
 an additional sales and use tax ceases to impose an additional sales
 and use tax the effective tax rate and rollback tax rate for the
 unit are calculated according to the following formulas:
 EFFECTIVE TAX RATE = [(LAST YEAR'S LEVY - LOST PROPERTY LEVY) /
 (CURRENT TOTAL VALUE - NEW PROPERTY VALUE)] + SALES TAX LOSS RATE
 and
 ROLLBACK TAX RATE = [[(]LAST YEAR'S MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS
 EXPENSE x (1 + LESSER OF INFLATION RATE OR 0.05 [1.08]) / ([TOTAL]
 CURRENT TOTAL VALUE - NEW PROPERTY VALUE)] + CURRENT DEBT RATE
 where "sales tax loss rate" means a number expressed in dollars per
 $100 of taxable value, calculated by dividing the amount of sales
 and use tax revenue generated in the last four quarters for which
 the information is available by the current total value and "last
 year's maintenance and operations expense" means the amount spent
 for maintenance and operations from property tax and additional
 sales and use tax revenues in the preceding year.
 SECTION 5.  Section 49.236, Water Code, as added by Chapters
 248 (H.B. 1541) and 335 (S.B. 392), Acts of the 78th Legislature,
 Regular Session, 2003, is reenacted and amended to read as follows:
 Sec. 49.236.  NOTICE OF TAX HEARING. (a) Before the board
 adopts an ad valorem tax rate for the district for debt service,
 operation and maintenance purposes, or contract purposes, the board
 shall give notice of each meeting of the board at which the adoption
 of a tax rate will be considered. The notice must:
 (1)  contain a statement in substantially the following
 form:
 "NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON TAX RATE
 "The (name of the district) will hold a public hearing on a
 proposed tax rate for the tax year (year of tax levy) on (date and
 time) at (meeting place). Your individual taxes may increase or
 decrease, depending on the change in the taxable value of your
 property in relation to the change in taxable value of all other
 property and the tax rate that is adopted.
 "(Names of all board members and, if a vote was taken, an
 indication of how each voted on the proposed tax rate and an
 indication of any absences.)";
 (2)  contain the following information:
 (A)  the district's total adopted tax rate for the
 preceding year and the proposed tax rate, expressed as an amount per
 $100;
 (B)  the difference, expressed as an amount per
 $100 and as a percent increase or decrease, as applicable, in the
 proposed tax rate compared to the adopted tax rate for the preceding
 year;
 (C)  the average appraised value of a residence
 homestead in the district in the preceding year and in the current
 year; the district's total homestead exemption, other than an
 exemption available only to disabled persons or persons 65 years of
 age or older, applicable to that appraised value in each of those
 years; and the average taxable value of a residence homestead in the
 district in each of those years, disregarding any homestead
 exemption available only to disabled persons or persons 65 years of
 age or older;
 (D)  the amount of tax that would have been
 imposed by the district in the preceding year on a residence
 homestead appraised at the average appraised value of a residence
 homestead in that year, disregarding any homestead exemption
 available only to disabled persons or persons 65 years of age or
 older;
 (E)  the amount of tax that would be imposed by the
 district in the current year on a residence homestead appraised at
 the average appraised value of a residence homestead in that year,
 disregarding any homestead exemption available only to disabled
 persons or persons 65 years of age or older, if the proposed tax
 rate is adopted; and
 (F)  the difference between the amounts of tax
 calculated under Paragraphs (D) and (E), expressed in dollars and
 cents and described as the annual percentage increase or decrease,
 as applicable, in the tax to be imposed by the district on the
 average residence homestead in the district in the current year if
 the proposed tax rate is adopted; and
 (3)  contain a statement in substantially the following
 form:
 "NOTICE OF TAXPAYERS' RIGHT TO
 ROLLBACK ELECTION
 "If taxes on the average residence homestead increase by more
 than the lesser of the inflation rate or five [eight] percent, the
 qualified voters of the district by petition may require that an
 election be held to determine whether to reduce the operation and
 maintenance tax rate to the rollback tax rate under Section
 49.236(d), Water Code."
 (b)  Notice of the hearing shall be:
 (1)  published at least once in a newspaper having
 general circulation in the district at least seven days before the
 date of the hearing; or
 (2)  mailed to each owner of taxable property in the
 district, at the address for notice shown on the most recently
 certified tax roll of the district, at least 10 days before the date
 of the hearing.
 (c)  The notice provided under this section may not be
 smaller than one-quarter page of a standard-size or tabloid-size
 newspaper of general circulation, and the headline on the notice
 must be in 18-point or larger type.
 (d)  If the governing body of a district adopts a combined
 debt service, operation and maintenance, and contract tax rate that
 would impose an amount of tax that exceeds by at least the lesser of
 the inflation rate as defined by Section 26.012, Tax Code, or five
 percent [more than 1.08 times] the amount of tax imposed by the
 district in the preceding year on a residence homestead appraised
 at the average appraised value of a residence homestead in the
 district in that year, disregarding any homestead exemption
 available only to disabled persons or persons 65 years of age or
 older, the qualified voters of the district by petition may require
 that an election be held to determine whether [or not] to reduce the
 tax rate adopted for the current year to the rollback tax rate in
 accordance with the procedures provided by Sections 26.07(b)-(g)
 and 26.081, Tax Code. For purposes of Sections 26.07(b)-(g) and
 this subsection, the rollback tax rate is the current year's debt
 service and contract tax rates plus the operation and maintenance
 tax rate that would impose an amount of tax that exceeds by the
 lesser of the inflation rate as defined by Section 26.012, Tax Code,
 or five percent [1.08 times] the amount of the operation and
 maintenance tax imposed by the district in the preceding year on a
 residence homestead appraised at the average appraised value of a
 residence homestead in the district in that year, disregarding any
 homestead exemption available only to disabled persons or persons
 65 years of age or older.
 SECTION 6.  (a) The change in law made by this Act applies to
 the ad valorem tax rate of a taxing unit beginning with the 2011 tax
 year, except as provided by Subsection (b) of this section.
 (b)  If the governing body of a taxing unit adopted an ad
 valorem tax rate for the taxing unit for the 2011 tax year before
 the effective date of this Act, the change in law made by this Act
 applies to the ad valorem tax rate of that taxing unit beginning
 with the 2012 tax year, and the law in effect when the tax rate was
 adopted applies to the 2011 tax year with respect to that taxing
 unit.
 SECTION 7.  This Act takes effect immediately 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 immediate effect, this
 Act takes effect September 1, 2011.