A municipality may use broad powers for urban renewal, but it cannot levy taxes or assessments for this chapter unless voters approve the proposed levy.
Sec. 374.015. GENERAL MUNICIPAL POWERS RELATING TO URBAN RENEWAL. (a) A municipality may exercise all powers necessary or convenient to carry out the purposes of this chapter, including the power to: (1) conduct preliminary surveys to determine if undertaking an urban renewal project is feasible; (2) conduct urban renewal projects within its area of operation; (3) execute contracts and other instruments necessary or convenient to the exercise of its powers under this chapter; (4) provide, arrange, or contract for the furnishing or repair by any person of services, privileges, works, streets, roads, public utilities, or other facilities in connection with an urban renewal project, including installation, construction, and reconstruction of streets, utilities, parks, playgrounds, and other public improvements necessary to carry out an urban renewal project; (5) acquire any real property, including improvements, and any personal property necessary for administrative purposes, that is necessary or incidental to an urban renewal project, hold, improve, clear, or prepare the property for redevelopment, mortgage or otherwise encumber or dispose of the real property, insure or provide for the insurance of real or personal property or municipal operations against any risk or hazard and to pay premiums on that insurance, and enter any necessary contracts; (6) invest urban renewal project funds held in reserves or sinking funds, or not required for immediate disbursement, in property or securities in which banks may legally invest funds subject to their control, redeem bonds issued under Section 374.026 at the redemption price established in the bond, or purchase those bonds at less than the redemption price, and cancel the bonds redeemed or purchased; (7) borrow money and apply for and accept advances, loans, grants, contributions, and other forms of financial assistance from the federal, state, or county government, other public body, or other public or private sources for the purposes of this chapter, give any required security, and make and carry out any contracts in connection with the financial assistance; (8) make plans necessary to carry out this chapter in its area of operation, contract with any person in making and carrying out the plans, and adopt, approve, modify or amend the plans; (9) develop, test, and report methods and techniques for the prevention of slums and urban blight, conduct demonstrations and other activities in connection with those methods and techniques, and apply for, accept, and use federal grants made for those purposes; (10) prepare plans and provide reasonable assistance for the relocation of persons displaced from an urban renewal project area, including families, business concerns, and others, as necessary to acquire possession and to clear the area in order to conduct the urban renewal project; (11) appropriate funds and make expenditures as necessary to implement this chapter and, subject to Subsection (c), levy taxes and assessments for that purpose; (12) close, vacate, plan, or replan streets, roads, sidewalks, ways, or other places, plan, replan, zone, or rezone any part of the municipality and make exceptions from building regulations, and enter agreements with an urban renewal agency vested with urban renewal powers under Subchapter C, which may extend over any period, restricting action to be taken by the municipality under any of the powers granted under this chapter; (13) organize, coordinate, and direct the administration of this chapter within the area of operation as those provisions apply to the municipality to most effectively promote and achieve the purposes of this chapter and establish new municipal offices or reorganize existing offices as necessary to most effectively implement those purposes; and (14) issue tax increment bonds. (b) A municipality may include in a contract made with the federal government for financial assistance for an urban renewal project the provisions and conditions imposed by federal law that the municipality considers reasonable, appropriate, and consistent with the purposes of this chapter. (c) A municipality may not levy a tax or assessment under or for the purposes of this chapter until the proposed levy is submitted to the municipality's voters in an election on the question and a majority of those voting approve the levy. (d) Except as provided by Section 374.016, a municipality may acquire by condemnation any interest in real property, including a fee simple interest, that the municipality considers necessary for or in connection with an urban renewal project. Property dedicated to a public use may be acquired in that manner, except that property belonging to the state or to a political subdivision of the state may not be acquired without the consent of the state or political subdivision. Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 149, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1987.