| 2 | 3 | | |
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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | proposing a constitutional amendment relating to the authority of |
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| 5 | 6 | | the legislature to permit conservation and reclamation districts in |
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| 6 | 7 | | El Paso County to issue bonds supported by ad valorem taxes to fund |
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| 7 | 8 | | the development and maintenance of parks and recreational |
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| 8 | 9 | | facilities. |
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| 9 | 10 | | BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Subsection (c-1), Section 59, Article XVI, Texas |
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| 11 | 12 | | Constitution, is amended to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 13 | | (c-1) In addition and only as provided by this subsection, |
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| 13 | 14 | | the Legislature may authorize conservation and reclamation |
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| 14 | 15 | | districts to develop and finance with taxes those types and |
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| 15 | 16 | | categories of parks and recreational facilities that were not |
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| 16 | 17 | | authorized by this section to be developed and financed with taxes |
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| 17 | 18 | | before September 13, 2003. For development of such parks and |
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| 18 | 19 | | recreational facilities, the Legislature may authorize |
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| 19 | 20 | | indebtedness payable from taxes as may be necessary to provide for |
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| 20 | 21 | | improvements and maintenance only for a conservation and |
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| 21 | 22 | | reclamation district all or part of which is located in Bexar |
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| 22 | 23 | | County, Bastrop County, Waller County, Travis County, Williamson |
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| 23 | 24 | | County, Harris County, Galveston County, Brazoria County, Fort Bend |
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| 24 | 25 | | County, [or] Montgomery County, or El Paso County, or for the |
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| 25 | 26 | | Tarrant Regional Water District, a water control and improvement |
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| 26 | 27 | | district located in whole or in part in Tarrant County. All the |
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| 27 | 28 | | indebtedness may be evidenced by bonds of the conservation and |
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| 28 | 29 | | reclamation district, to be issued under regulations as may be |
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| 29 | 30 | | prescribed by law. The Legislature may also authorize the levy and |
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| 30 | 31 | | collection within such district of all taxes, equitably |
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| 31 | 32 | | distributed, as may be necessary for the payment of the interest and |
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| 32 | 33 | | the creation of a sinking fund for the payment of the bonds and for |
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| 33 | 34 | | maintenance of and improvements to such parks and recreational |
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| 34 | 35 | | facilities. The indebtedness shall be a lien on the property |
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| 35 | 36 | | assessed for the payment of the bonds. The Legislature may not |
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| 36 | 37 | | authorize the issuance of bonds or provide for indebtedness under |
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| 37 | 38 | | this subsection against a conservation and reclamation district |
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| 38 | 39 | | unless a proposition is first submitted to the qualified voters of |
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| 39 | 40 | | the district and the proposition is adopted. This subsection |
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| 40 | 41 | | expands the authority of the Legislature with respect to certain |
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| 41 | 42 | | conservation and reclamation districts and is not a limitation on |
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| 42 | 43 | | the authority of the Legislature with respect to conservation and |
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| 43 | 44 | | reclamation districts and parks and recreational facilities |
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| 44 | 45 | | pursuant to this section as that authority existed before September |
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| 45 | 46 | | 13, 2003. |
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| 46 | 47 | | SECTION 2. The legislature intends by the amendment |
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| 47 | 48 | | proposed by Section 1 of this resolution to expand the authority of |
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| 48 | 49 | | the legislature with regard to conservation and reclamation |
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| 49 | 50 | | districts in El Paso County. The proposed amendment should not be |
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| 50 | 51 | | construed as a limitation on the powers of the legislature or of a |
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| 51 | 52 | | district with respect to parks and recreational facilities as those |
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| 52 | 53 | | powers exist immediately before the amendment takes effect. |
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| 53 | 54 | | SECTION 3. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be |
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| 54 | 55 | | submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 7, 2023. |
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| 55 | 56 | | The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the |
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| 56 | 57 | | proposition: "The constitutional amendment authorizing the |
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| 57 | 58 | | legislature to permit conservation and reclamation districts in El |
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| 58 | 59 | | Paso County to issue bonds supported by ad valorem taxes to fund the |
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| 59 | 60 | | development and maintenance of parks and recreational facilities." |
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