HBA-RBT H.B. 1369 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1369
By: Burnam
Natural Resources
3/8/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

The Board of Directors (board) of the Tarrant County Water Control and
Improvement District No. 1 (district) is elected in an at-large elections.
The at-large method can result in the election of a board that is not
representative of the constituency of the area served by the district.
Currently, the election date for electing board members is not concurrent
with other local government election dates.  The additional election date
can result in lower than average voter turn-out, increased cost to
taxpayers, and confusion among voters regarding candidates.  H.B. 1369
requires the creation of precincts and the election of one director to be
chosen from each precinct.  This bill also changes the election date so
that it is concurrent with that of other units of local government. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Chapter 268, Acts of the 55th Legislature, Regular
Session, 1957 (Article 8280-207, V.T.C.S.), by adding Sections 1A and 2A,
as follows: 

Sec.  1A.  Provides that the Tarrant County Water Control and Improvement
District No.  1 (district) is governed by a board of seven directors
(board) elected as prescribed by Chapter 49, Water Code (Provisions
Applicable to All Districts), except that the board in office preceding the
date of the initial election under this section is required to establish
seven precincts from which the directors are elected.  Requires directors
to serve staggered fouryear terms.  Requires one director to be elected
from each precinct.  Requires a person to indicate on the application for a
place on the ballot the precinct that the person seeks to represent.
Requires the board to revise each precinct after each federal decennial
census to reflect population changes.  Requires a new director to be
elected from each precinct at the first election after the precincts are
revised.  Requires the directors to draw lots to determine which three
directors are required to serve two-year terms and which four directors ar
required to serve four-year terms. 

Sec.  2A.  Requires the first election under Section 1A of this Act to be
held at the first general election for municipal officers held after the
effective date of this Act and in the same location as the election for
those officers.  Requires the initial elected directors to draw lots to
determine which three directors are required to serve two-year terms and
which four directors are required to serve four-year terms.  Requires an
election to be held on the same day and in the same location as the general
election for offices of the municipality with the greatest population that
is located in the district, and the appropriate number of successor
directors required to be elected to serve four-year terms.  Provides that
the terms of the directors serving on the date of the first election under
Section 1A of this Act expire when the initially elected directors take
office. 

SECTION 2.  Provides that the board of the Tarrant County Water Control and
Improvement District No.  1 consists of five members until the sixth and
seventh members added by this Act are elected and qualified for office. 
 
SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.
  Effective date: upon passage.