Relating to municipal and county financial requirements.

89(R) HB 5267 - House Committee Report version - Bill Text

89R23797 DNC-F

By: Bell of Montgomery

H.B. No. 5267

Substitute the following for H.B. No. 5267:

By: Bell of Montgomery

C.S.H.B. No. 5267

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to municipal and county financial requirements.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Chapter 140, Local Government Code, is amended

by adding Sections 140.014 and 140.015 to read as follows:

Sec.

140.014.

LIMIT ON ANNUAL EXPENDITURES. (a)

In this

section:

(1) "Board" means the Legislative Budget Board.

(2)

"Consumer price index" means the average over a

calendar year of the index the board considers to most accurately

report changes in the purchasing power of the dollar for consumers

in this state.

(3)

"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 preceding calendar year as compared to the consumer price index

for the calendar year preceding that calendar year.

(4)

"Population growth rate" means the rate of growth

of the state's population during the preceding calendar year,

expressed in decimal form rounded to the nearest thousandth,

determined by the board in accordance with the most recent

population estimates published by the United States Census Bureau.

(b)

This section applies only to a political subdivision

that is a municipality or county.

(c)

Except as provided by Subsection (e) and subject to

Subsection (f), a political subdivision's total expenditures from

all available sources of revenue in a fiscal year may not exceed the

greater of:

(1)

the political subdivision's total expenditures

from all available sources of revenue in the preceding fiscal year;

or

(2) an amount determined by multiplying:

(A)

the political subdivision's total

expenditures from all available sources of revenue in the preceding

fiscal year; and

(B)

the sum of one and the rate most recently

published by the board under Subsection (d).

(d)

Not later than January 31 of each year, the board shall

publish a rate equal to the sum of the population growth rate and

the inflation rate.

(e)

A political subdivision's total expenditures from all

available sources of local revenue in a fiscal year may exceed the

amount described by Subsection (c) if:

(1)

the political subdivision's voters approve the

additional expenditures for that fiscal year at an election called

for that purpose and held on a uniform election date; or

(2)

the governor declares or renews a declaration of a

state of disaster under Section 418.014, Government Code, in that

fiscal year, and the governor's designation of the area threatened

includes all or part of the geographic territory of the political

subdivision.

(f)

The amount by which a political subdivision's total

expenditures from all available sources of revenue in a fiscal year

may exceed the amount described by Subsection (c) under Subsection

(e)(2) may not exceed an amount equal to the actual costs incurred

by the political subdivision as a result of the declared disaster

described by Subsection (e)(2).

(g)

For purposes of this section, the following are not

considered an available source of revenue:

(1)

money received from the issuance of bonds approved

by the voters; or

(2) a grant, donation, or gift.

Sec.

140.015.

TAXPAYER'S BUDGET SUMMARY. (a) This section

applies only to a political subdivision that is a municipality or

county.

(b)

Not later than the 20th day after the date the governing

body of a political subdivision adopts a budget for the fiscal year,

the political subdivision shall post on the political subdivision's

Internet website, if the political subdivision maintains a website,

or make publicly available if the political subdivision does not

maintain an Internet website a summary of the adopted budget that

includes:

(1)

the total amount of the budget adopted for that

fiscal year;

(2)

the amount budgeted for the fiscal year in each of

the following categories:

(A) general government;

(B) public health;

(C) public safety;

(D) parks and recreation;

(E) business and economic development;

(F) transportation;

(G) debt service;

(H) capital improvements; and

(I) other expenditures; and

(3) a taxpayer impact statement that:

(A)

lists the name of each fee and property tax,

as applicable, imposed by the governmental body on a typical

residential ratepayer;

(B)

states the amount of each fee or tax listed in

Paragraph (A) for a typical residential ratepayer for:

(i)

the fiscal year preceding the year

applicable to the proposed budget; and

(ii)

the fiscal year applicable to the

proposed budget;

(C)

states the difference in the amounts stated

in Paragraphs (B)(i) and (B)(ii) for each fee or tax listed in

Paragraph (A);

(D)

briefly defines a typical residential

ratepayer for each fee and property tax listed in Paragraph (A);

(E)

includes an aggregated total for the amounts

stated in Paragraphs (B)(i), (B)(ii), and (C), stated separately;

and

(F)

includes aggregate amounts for each fee,

property tax, or other source of revenue, broken down by the revenue

type that will be used to fund expenditures in the proposed and

adopted budget.

(c)

Not later than the 20th day before the date the

governing body of a political subdivision holds a public hearing on

the adoption of a budget for the upcoming fiscal year, the political

subdivision shall post on the political subdivision's Internet

website, if the political subdivision maintains a website, or make

publicly available if the political subdivision does not maintain

an Internet website a summary of the proposed budget that includes

for each category described by Subsection (b), in a manner that

allows comparison of the amounts across categories:

(1)

the budgeted amount for the preceding fiscal year;

and

(2) the proposed amount for the upcoming fiscal year.

(d) A summary prepared under this section:

(1)

must include a total budget amount that is equal to

the sum of the budget amounts provided for each category; and

(2)

may not include an expenditure in more than one

budget category.

SECTION 2. Sections 140.014 and 140.015, Local Government

Code, as added by this Act, apply only to a fiscal year of a

municipality or county that begins on or after December 1, 2025.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.