A junior college district board may switch to single-member trustee districts, but must follow deadlines, district-drawing rules, residency rules, and vacancy-filling rules.
Sec. 130.0822. ELECTION FROM SINGLE-MEMBER TRUSTEE DISTRICTS. (a) The board of trustees of a junior college district may order that all or a majority of the trustees of the district be elected from single-member trustee districts. (b) An order of the board adopted under Subsection (a) of this section must be entered not later than the 120th day before the day of the first election of trustees from single-member trustee districts. (c) The appointment and election of trustees of the junior college district are subject to Section 130.082 of this code, except as otherwise provided by this section. (d) If the board orders that trustees shall be elected from single-member trustee districts, the board shall divide the junior college district into the appropriate number of trustee districts, based on the number of members of the board that are to be elected from single-member districts, and shall number each trustee district. (e) The trustee districts must be compact and contiguous, and must be as nearly as practicable of equal population according to the last preceding federal census. (f) Trustee districts must be drawn not later than the 90th day before the day of the first election of trustees from single-member districts. (g) The board may provide for trustees holding office on the date of the initial election of trustees from single-member districts to serve the remainder of their terms and to represent a trustee district for that term without having residency in that trustee district. (h) Except in the case of residents of a trustee district who are represented by a trustee serving in accordance with Subsection (g) of this section, residents of each trustee district are entitled to elect one trustee to the board. A candidate for trustee must be a resident of the trustee district the candidate seeks to represent. A trustee other than a trustee serving in accordance with Subsection (g) of this section vacates the office if he or she ceases to reside in the trustee district he or she represents. (i) Any vacancy on the board shall be filled by appointment made by the remaining members of the board. The appointed person serves for the unexpired term. (j) After each redistricting, all positions on the board shall be filled unless the board of trustees determines that trustees shall be elected from the new trustee districts as provided by Section 130.0826. The trustees then elected shall draw lots for staggered terms as provided by Section 130.082. (k) Not later than the 90th day before the day of the first regular junior college district trustee election at which trustees may officially recognize and act on the last preceding federal census, the board shall redivide the district into the appropriate number of trustee districts if the census data indicates that the population of the most populous district exceeds the population of the least populous district by more than 10 percent. Redivision of the district shall be in the manner provided for the initial division of the district. (l) This section does not apply to a junior college district to which Section 130.081, 130.083, 130.0821, or 130.088 of this code applies, or to a junior college district required by other law to elect trustees from single-member districts. This section does not apply to the election of trustees in any district in which the election of trustees is governed by a court order so long as that order remains in effect. This section does apply to an independent school district junior college district governed by a separate board of trustees. Added by Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 1029, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1989. Amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 89, Sec. 2, eff. May 11, 2001.