Bill: HB 4156, 84(R) - 2015

Committee

House Special Purpose Districts

Vote Recommendation

Vote Recommendation Economic Freedom Property Rights Personal Responsibility Limited Government Individual Liberty
No Negative Neutral Neutral Negative Neutral

Author(s)

Ron Reynolds

Bill Caption

Relating to the creation of Missouri City Management District No. 2; providing authority to issue bonds; providing authority to impose assessments, fees, or taxes.

Fiscal Notes

There is no significant fiscal implication to the State.

Because the bill would not have statewide impact on units of local government of the same type or class, no comment from this office is required by the rules of the House/Senate as to its probable fiscal implication on units of local government.

Bill Analysis

HB 4156 seeks to create the Missouri City Management District No. 2 to promote, develop, encourage, and maintain employment, commerce, transportation, housing, tourism, recreation, the arts, entertainment, economic development, safety, and the public welfare in the district. 

All or part of the district is eligible to be included in a tax increment or abatement reinvestment zone, and enterprise zone, or an industrial district.

The 7 directors of the district may be compensated up to $50 for each board meeting. The total amount a director may be compensated for each year may not exceed $2,000.

The district may impose property taxes and sales and use taxes if voted favorably. The MCMD would also be allowed to impose assessments to help fund its projects. The district may not exercise eminent domain authority.

Vote Recommendation Notes

The Missouri City Management District No.2 (MCMD) would be located in Fort Bend County. According to the author’s statement of intent, these districts  “have been used to promote the development of both residential and commercial areas and to provide the infrastructure and supplemental services required of such areas.”

HB 4156 would give this new management district authority allowing it to promote, develop, encourage, and maintain employment, commerce, transportation, housing, tourism, recreation, the arts, entertainment, economic development, safety, and the public welfare in the district

The MCMD would be a part of a broader class of special districts known as Municipal Management Districts (MMD). This bill would grant municipal-type authority to a non-municipal entity, essentially creating a city within a city that lacks true accountability, which does not bode well towards supporting our liberty principles.

For these reasons, we oppose HB 4156 because it is not the proper role of government to spur economic growth development. The idea that government can and should play such a role in the economy has always been an insidious backdoor towards more government which distorts the marketplace, picks economic winners and losers, and infringes on individual liberty. For these reasons we oppose HB 4156.

The second chamber sponsor is Senator Ellis.


Source URL (retrieved on 03/29/2024 02:03 AM): http://reports.texasaction.com/bill/84r/hb4156?print_view=true