This section lets a municipality be added to an authority by election if the area overlaps, the municipality and authority follow the election process, and a majority votes for it.
Sec. 460.302. ADDITION OF MUNICIPALITY BY ELECTION. (a) The territory of a municipality that is not initially part of an authority may be added to an authority if: (1) any part of the municipality is located in the territory of the authority; (2) the governing body of the municipality requests in writing that the authority call an election under this section on whether the territory of the municipality should be added to the authority, the authority calls the election, and submits to the qualified voters of the municipality the following proposition: "Shall the (name of authority) levy of a proposed tax, not to exceed (rate), be authorized?"; and (3) a majority of the votes received in the election favor the measure. (b) The governing body of the authority shall canvass the returns, declare the result, and notify the comptroller and the department. (c) If approval by a municipality would cause the tax in a municipality that has imposed a dedicated or special-purpose sales and use tax to exceed the limit imposed under Section 460.552(a), the governing body of the municipality may request in writing that an authority call an election under this section on whether the territory of the municipality should be added with a combined ballot proposition to lower or repeal any dedicated or special-purpose sales and use tax. A combined ballot proposition under this subsection: (1) shall contain substantially the same language, if any, required by law for the lowering, repealing, raising, or adopting of each tax as appropriate; and (2) that receives a negative vote shall have no effect on either the sales tax to be lowered or repealed by the proposition or the sales tax to be raised or adopted by the proposition. (c-1) This section shall not be construed to change the substantive law of any sales tax, including the allowed maximum rate or combined rate of local sales taxes. (d) At any time after the date of an election approving the addition of a municipality under this section, the authority and the governing body of the municipality may enter into an interlocal agreement that provides for the eventual admission of the municipality to the territory of the authority and for the payment of proportional capital recovery fees as determined by the authority. The authority is not required to provide transportation services to the municipality until any capital recovery fees provided for in the agreement are paid to the authority. (e) A sales and use tax imposed by an authority takes effect in a municipality added to the authority under this section on the first day after the expiration of the first complete calendar quarter that begins after the date the comptroller receives a certified copy of an order adopted by the authority relating to the addition of the municipality or other notice of the addition of the municipality, accompanied by a map of the authority clearly showing the territory added. (f) In this section, "dedicated or special-purpose sales and use tax" means a tax referred to or described by: (1) Chapter 504 or 505, Local Government Code; (2) Section 379A.081, Local Government Code; (3) Section 363.055, Local Government Code; or (4) Section 327.003, Tax Code. Added by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1186, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2001. Amended by: Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 326 (H.B. 2682), Sec. 11, eff. September 1, 2007. Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 87 (S.B. 1969), Sec. 23.005, eff. September 1, 2009.