The 79th Legislatures House Bill 2702 made several changes that will affect Texas Regional Mobility Authorities (RMAs). An RMA is a political subdivision formed by one or more counties to finance, acquire, design, construct, operate, maintain, expand or extend transportation projects. The project may be tolled or non-tolled. RMAs generate revenue for additional … [Read more...] about Legislation Addresses Regional Mobility Authorities
From the General Counsel
Anatomy of an Unfunded Mandate
An unfunded mandate is a requirement imposed upon counties without an appropriation by the state. The primary legislative objective of the State Association is the prevention of unfunded mandates. Legislators have an unending supply of good ideas without funding. Every session, we successfully defeat numerous bills with proposed unfunded mandates. Despite our … [Read more...] about Anatomy of an Unfunded Mandate
Senate Bill 18 Changes Property Tax Notice And Hearing Requirements
Secretary of State Williams has declared that SB18 by Sen. Williams/Rep. Ritter has immediate effect. Therefore, these new requirements will apply to the tax notice and hearings for this year if the proposed tax rate will exceed the effective tax rate. Notice. The content of the newspaper notice of the tax rate hearings has changed. If the county has a Web site, the … [Read more...] about Senate Bill 18 Changes Property Tax Notice And Hearing Requirements
Indigent Healthcare Legislation
There were several bills introduced this legislative session concerning county responsibility for indigent health care services. This responsibility is defined in Chapter 61, Health and Safety Code. Severe reductions in the state health care budget have placed regional public hospitals in a budgetary crisis. An interim study by the Senate Committee on Health examined the … [Read more...] about Indigent Healthcare Legislation
A Lesson in Legislative Relations
On May 5, 2005, the Denton Record Chronicle published an editorial titled: Its Official: Were Governed by Idiots. The newspaper bemoaned the inability of the Legislature to achieve any progress on public education issues while wasting time on frivolous issues like cheerleader routines. The same message could be easily applied to county issues. The … [Read more...] about A Lesson in Legislative Relations