The county commissioners court may order an election on its own, and must order one if a qualifying petition is filed.
Sec. 1475.004. ELECTION. (a) The commissioners court of a county: (1) may, on its own motion, order an election to determine whether the county will issue bonds or warrants or otherwise lend its credit to take an action under Section 1475.002; and (2) shall order such an election if a petition signed by at least 25 of the resident owners of taxable property in the county that calls for the election is filed with the commissioners court. (b) The election order must include as close a description as possible of: (1) the proposed navigation purposes, aid to navigation, or right-of-way and necessary dumping privileges to be acquired; (2) the amount of the proposed bonds or warrants or the extent of the credit proposed to be authorized for those purposes; (3) if the commissioners court proposes to issue bonds or warrants, the maturity dates and rate of interest of the bonds or warrants; and (4) if the commissioners court proposes to lend the credit of the county, the manner in which the credit is to be used and the terms of the credit to be authorized. (c) Subject to Section 4.003(c), Election Code, the commissioners court shall give 20 days notice of the election: (1) by publication in a newspaper published at the county seat; and (2) by posting in three public places in the county, one of which must be at the county seat. (d) The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the proposition: "The issuance of bonds (or, if appropriate, 'the issuance of warrants' or 'the lending of credit') and the imposition of a tax in payment of the bonds (or, if appropriate, 'in payment of the warrants' or 'in payment of the lending of credit')." Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 227, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1999.