Travis County Commssioners Court
February 17, 2004
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Item 34
34. Receive petition for an election on the creation of a county-wide hospital district with taxing authority in Travis County, and direct county staff to review the petition. Because the signatures must be validated, right, tamara?
>> correct.
>> and legally where -- where does Travis County stoond this petition. Stand on this petition. What's required of the Commissioners court.
>> okay. The Commissioners court today at least is receiving the petition and instructing staff to review it. Once that's done, and -- if the petition is in order, the Commissioners court must then order the election. And the deadline for that would be March 9th from the election. For the election.
>> if we did provide as part of the backup a pertinent -- better Septembernent page -- pertinent pages of the law. The way I understand it, the Commissioners court has no choice once we receive the petition but to formally receive it and to order county staff to validate it.
>> correct.
>> okay.
>> questions?
>> I'm sorry.
>> a question has come up that's being raised is does the Commissioners court have any discretion related to the election date?
>> not for the hospital district election. Once petition is received, you order the election the next uniform election date.
>> that's what I needed, that magic language. The next uniform election date which would be may 15th.
>> correct.
>> okay. The filing of the -- of the petition one is the responsibility to receive it and validate in calling the election at the next appropriate time. Which [indiscernible] may pertain.
>> correct, uh-huh. And that election has to be ordered on or before the 62nd day before the election day.
>> that's the March 9th deadline.
>> right. Uh-huh.
>> tamara who actually should be responsible for the payment of the election, who would -- what would the cost be borne -- if the county -- if the petition is valid, everything is there, everything is in order. The election is held on the 15th, who has to pay for that election? How would it be paid for? Legally the county pays for the election in terms of cost, you would need to ask the elections division.
>> okay.
>> for the record, there is a -- there is a requirement that -- at section 281.003 entitled creation election required, that says basically -- it references that we shall order the election on presentation of a petition for a creation election signed by at least 100 qualified property tax paying voters. Of the county and that 100 is a very, very small number. I think that we got a petition consisting of about a 200 qualified property tax paying voters in Travis County. I would be real surprised if 100 of them aren't valid. I suspect we will get questions between now and when we take action to call the elections, so I thought the backup would be helpful.
>> we may have some funding partners related to this election. This is normally not within our cycle. But we -- we have been thinking that this would be the date. Aisd is electing trustees that same date and a.c.c. Is doing trustees that same date. And the city of Austin is having some very light discussions, they don't have council elections this year, but whether they go ahead and put on any kind of charter amendments because in effect they could -- they could put some things on for free because they would be sharing costs with so many other funding partners.
>> right, okay. Move that we receive the petition and that we basically direct county staff to review it and validate the -- the tax paying voters.
>> second.
>> any more discussion? All in favor? That passes by unanimous vote. Which Commissioner Daugherty -- with Commissioner Daugherty absent for the rest of the meeting, he had to run to another commitment. Tamara thank you very much.
Last Modified: Tuesday, February 17, 2004 5:44 PM