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Texas Statutes (Last Updated: January 4, 2014) |
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WATER CODE |
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Title 4. GENERAL LAW DISTRICTS |
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Chapter 49. PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO ALL DISTRICTS |
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Subchapter H. POWERS AND DUTIES |
Sec. 49.212. FEES AND CHARGES
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(a) A district may adopt and enforce all necessary charges, mandatory fees, or rentals, in addition to taxes, for providing or making available any district facility or service, including fire-fighting activities provided under Section 49.351.
(b) A district may require a deposit for any services or facilities furnished and the district may or may not provide that the deposit will bear interest.
(c) Subject to observance of the procedure appropriate to the circumstances, a district may discontinue any or all facilities or services to prevent an abuse or to enforce payment of an unpaid charge, fee, or rental due the district, including taxes that have been delinquent for not less than six months.
(d) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, a district that charges a fee that is an impact fee as described in Section 395.001(4), Local Government Code, must comply with Chapter 395, Local Government Code. A charge or fee by a district for construction, installation, or inspection of a tap or connection to district water, sanitary sewer, or drainage facilities, including all necessary service lines and meters, or for wholesale facilities that serve such water, sanitary sewer, or drainage facilities that (i) does not exceed three times the actual and reasonable costs to the district for such tap or connection, (ii) if made to a nontaxable entity for retail or wholesale service, does not exceed the actual costs to the district for such work and for all facilities that are necessary to provide district services to such entity and that are financed or are to be financed in whole or in part by tax-supported or revenue bonds of the district, or (iii) if made by a district for retail or wholesale service on land that at the time of platting was not being provided with water or wastewater service by the district, shall not be deemed to be an impact fee under Chapter 395, Local Government Code. A district may pledge the revenues of the district's utility system to pay the principal of or interest on bonds issued to construct the capital improvements for which a fee was imposed under this subsection, and money received from the fees shall be considered revenues of the district's utility system for purposes of the district's bond covenants.
(e) Chapter 2007, Government Code, does not apply to a tax levied, a standby fee imposed, or a charge, fee, or rental adopted or enforced by a district under this chapter, another chapter of this code, or Chapter 395, Local Government Code.
(f) Except as provided by Subsections (g) and (h), a district may not impose an impact fee, standby fee, or assessment on the property, including the equipment, rights-of-way, easements, facilities, or improvements, of:
(1) an electric utility or a power generation company as defined by Section 31.002, Utilities Code;
(2) a gas utility as defined by Section 101.003 or 121.001, Utilities Code, or a person who owns pipelines used for the transportation or sale of oil or gas or a product or constituent of oil or gas;
(3) a person who owns pipelines used for the transportation or sale of carbon dioxide;
(4) a telecommunications provider as defined by Section 51.002, Utilities Code; or
(5) a cable service provider or video service provider as defined by Section 66.002, Utilities Code.
(g) A district may impose an impact fee, standby fee, or assessment on property described by Subsection (f) that is used as office space.
(h) A district may impose an impact fee on property described by Subsection (f) on the same terms as the district imposes an impact fee on other property if the owner of the property requests water or sewer services for that property from the district.
(i) Subsection (f) does not affect a district's authority to impose an ad valorem tax on property in the boundaries of the district under this chapter or other law.