Title
Discuss the process/timeline for renewal of the Crime Control Prevention District and the Fire Control Prevention and Emergency Medical Services District.
Body
Summary:
The board will review the brochure and discuss any final questions or concerns as final approval will be taken at the Feb 3, 2025 meeting.
The Deer Park Crime Control Prevention District (CCPD) and the Deer Park Fire Control, Prevention, and Emergency Medical Services District (FCPEMSD) were approved by the voters in Deer Park on May 11, 2011 and approved by the voters to extend another 10 years in 2016. Pursuant to their respective statutes, each district will dissolve five years after the date the municipality began to impose taxes for district purposes if the district has not held a continuation referendum.
In 2016, both boards called a referendum election to extend the districts for an additional 10 years and approved a joint election agreement with the City of Deer Park to hold the election. The 10 years is up in 2026 but it is being requested that we hold the election in 2025. One of the reasons to hold in 2025 vs 2026 is, if the election fails in 2025, the districts can still hold another election in 2026 (which is one year later).
Each district board may call and hold a referendum election on the question of whether to continue the district. The board may order a referendum election on its own motion by a majority of its members (this was used in 2016). The board shall order a referendum election: (1) on receipt of a petition that requests continuation of the district and complies with certain statutory requirements; or (2) if the majority of the governing body of the municipality that created the district, after notice and a public hearing on the matter, by resolution requests a referendum on continuation.
The board may not hold a referendum election before the fourth anniversary of the date the district was created.
For the FCPEMSD, the governing body of a municipality that creates a district under this chapter may specify the number of years for which the district should be continued. The board or the governing body of a municipality may propose continuation of a district for 5, 10, 15, or 20 years.
For the CCPD, (a) the board or governing body of the municipality that created the district may specify the number of years for which a district should be continued. (b) A district may be continued under Subsection (a) only for 5, 10, 15, or 20 years.
A continuation election is being planned for May 2025 and should be called between February 3 and February 14, 2025.
A plan for district continuation should be developed well in advance of the time period for calling a continuation election. Below is a proposed timeline for workshops/meetings related to the CCPD and FCPEMSD renewal:
• October 21, 2024 - Discussion to occur at each regular meeting to kickoff discussion about renewal of the districts.
• December 10, 2024 - Joint CCPD and FCPEMSD Workshop to discuss plans for renewal of the districts. Will review the updated brochure for the referendum and solicit direction from the boards and discuss the election process.
• January 6, 2025 - Joint CCPD and FCPEMSD Workshop to discuss plans for renewal of the districts. Will review and approve the updated brochure for the referendum and solicit direction from the boards and discuss the election process.
Fiscal/Budgetary Impact:
N/A.
Recommended action
Discussion only.