Bill Text: TX HB4723 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Enrolled

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Bill Title: Relating to the creation of the Belmont Municipal Utility District of Johnson County; providing authority to issue bonds; providing authority to impose assessments, fees, and taxes.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)

Status: (Passed) 2019-06-02 - Effective on 9/1/19 [HB4723 Detail]

Download: Texas-2019-HB4723-Enrolled.html

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H.B. No. 4723

AN ACT
relating to the creation of the Belmont Municipal Utility District
of Johnson County; 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 7896 to read as follows:
CHAPTER 7896. BELMONT MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT OF JOHNSON
COUNTY
SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS
Sec. 7896.0101. 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 Belmont Municipal Utility
District of Johnson County.
Sec. 7896.0102. NATURE OF DISTRICT. The district is a
municipal utility district created under Section 59, Article XVI,
Texas Constitution.
Sec. 7896.0103. 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. 7896.0104. CONSENT OF MUNICIPALITY REQUIRED. The
temporary directors may not hold an election under Section
7896.0103 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. 7896.0105. 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, improvement, operation,
or maintenance of macadamized, graveled, or paved roads, or
improvements, including storm drainage, in aid of those roads.
Sec. 7896.0106. 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. 7896.0201. GOVERNING BODY; TERMS. (a) The district is
governed by a board of five elected directors.
(b) Except as provided by Section 7896.0202, directors
serve staggered four-year terms.
Sec. 7896.0202. TEMPORARY DIRECTORS. (a) On or after
September 1, 2019, 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 temporary
directors the five persons named in the petition. The commission
shall appoint as temporary directors the five persons named in the
petition.
(b) Temporary directors serve until the earlier of:
(1) the date permanent directors are elected under
Section 7896.0103; or
(2) September 1, 2023.
(c) If permanent directors have not been elected under
Section 7896.0103 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 7896.0103; 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. 7896.0301. GENERAL POWERS AND DUTIES. The district
has the powers and duties necessary to accomplish the purposes for
which the district is created.
Sec. 7896.0302. 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. 7896.0303. AUTHORITY FOR ROAD PROJECTS. Under Section
52, Article III, Texas Constitution, the district may design,
acquire, construct, finance, issue bonds for, improve, operate,
maintain, and convey to this state, a county, or a municipality for
operation and maintenance macadamized, graveled, or paved roads, or
improvements, including storm drainage, in aid of those roads.
Sec. 7896.0304. ROAD STANDARDS AND REQUIREMENTS. (a) A
road project must meet all applicable construction standards,
zoning and subdivision requirements, and regulations of each
municipality in whose corporate limits or extraterritorial
jurisdiction the road project is located.
(b) If a road project is not located in the corporate limits
or extraterritorial jurisdiction of a municipality, the road
project must meet all applicable construction standards,
subdivision requirements, and regulations of each county in which
the road project is located.
(c) If the state will maintain and operate the road, the
Texas Transportation Commission must approve the plans and
specifications of the road project.
Sec. 7896.0305. 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. 7896.0306. DIVISION OF DISTRICT. (a) The district may
be divided into two or more new districts only if the district:
(1) has no outstanding bonded debt; and
(2) is not imposing ad valorem taxes.
(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 enacting 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
7896.0103 to confirm the district's creation.
(f) An order dividing the district must:
(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 7896.0103. If the voters of a new district do not confirm
the creation of the new district, the assets, obligations,
territory, and governance of the new district revert to the
original district.
(i) Municipal consent to the creation of the district and to
the inclusion of land in the district granted under Section
7896.0104 acts as municipal consent to the creation of any new
district created by the division of the district and to the
inclusion of land in the new district.
(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 creation of the new district is confirmed, the
new district shall provide the election date and results to the
commission.
Sec. 7896.0307. NO EMINENT DOMAIN POWER. The district may
not exercise the power of eminent domain.
SUBCHAPTER D. GENERAL FINANCIAL PROVISIONS
Sec. 7896.0401. ELECTIONS REGARDING TAXES OR BONDS. (a)
The district may issue, without an election, bonds and other
obligations secured by:
(1) revenue other than ad valorem taxes; or
(2) contract payments described by Section 7896.0403.
(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. 7896.0402. OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE TAX. (a) If
authorized at an election held under Section 7896.0401, 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. 7896.0403. CONTRACT TAXES. (a) In accordance with
Section 49.108, Water Code, the district may impose a tax other than
an operation and maintenance tax and use the revenue derived from
the tax to make payments under a contract after the provisions of
the contract have been approved by a majority of the district voters
voting at an election held for that purpose.
(b) A contract approved by the district voters may contain a
provision stating that the contract may be modified or amended by
the board without further voter approval.
SUBCHAPTER E. BONDS AND OTHER OBLIGATIONS
Sec. 7896.0501. 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. 7896.0502. 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. 7896.0503. 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 Belmont Municipal Utility District of
Johnson County initially includes all the territory contained in
the following area:
BEING 502.94 acres out of the P.S. DOSS SURVEY, ABSTRACT
NUMBER 197 and the JOHNSON COUNTY SCHOOL LANDS SURVEY, ABSTRACT
NUMBER 443, Johnson County, Texas and being those certain tracts of
land conveyed to MAAK Enterprises, LP (318.94 acres), according to
the deed recorded in Volume 2289, Page 289, Deed Records of Johnson
County, Texas and to Roy King Carrell according to the deed recorded
in Volume 2289, Page 293, Deed Records of Johnson County, Texas and
being more particularly described as follows:
BEGINNING at a the northeast corner of said Carrell tract,
said point being in the apparent centerline of County Road 1006;
THENCE, South, along the apparent centerline of said County
Road 1006, at 1883.4 feet passing the southeast corner of said
Carell tract and the northeast corner of said MAAK tract and
continuing in all a distance of 5660.9 feet to a point for corner,
being the southeast corner of said MAAK tract;
THENCE, West, along the existing north right-of-way line of
FM 917, 3677.8 feet to a point for corner, being the southwest
corner of said MAAK tract;
THENCE, North, along the west line of said MAAK tract, 3777.5
feet to a point for corner, said point being in the south line of
said Carrell tract and also being the northwest corner of said MAAK
tract;
THENCE, West, along the south line of said Carrell tract,
577.8 feet to a point for corner, being the southwest corner of said
Carrell tract;
THENCE, North, along the west line of said Carrell tract,
1883.4 feet to a point for corner, being the northwest corner of
said Carrell tract;
THENCE, East, along the north line of said Carrell tract,
4255.6 feet to the POINT OF BEGINNING.
The tract of land herein described contains 502.94 acres of
land.
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. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.
______________________________ ______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 4723 was passed by the House on May 3,
2019, by the following vote: Yeas 123, Nays 17, 2 present, not
voting.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 4723 was passed by the Senate on May
19, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 1.
______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: _____________________
Date
_____________________
Governor