Bill: HB 4186, 84(R) - 2015

Committee

Senate Intergovernmental Relations

Vote Recommendation

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

Author(s)

Wayne Smith

Bill Caption

Relating to the creation of the East Lake Houston Management District; providing authority to issue bonds; providing authority to impose assessments, fees, or taxes.

Fiscal Notes

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 4186 seeks to create the East Lake Houston Management District 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 district may impose property taxes and sales and use taxes if voted favorably and issue bonds to finance the district's projects. The district may not exercise eminent domain authority.

Vote Recommendation Notes

HB 4186 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 East Lake Houston Management District 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 4186 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 4186.

The second chamber sponsor is Senator Creighton. 


Source URL (retrieved on 03/28/2024 04:03 AM): http://reports.texasaction.com/bill/84r/hb4186?print_view=true