Item 4L AudioU ' 7 1TY OF
SOUTHLAKE
Mayor and members of the city council, this is Ben Thatcher and I will be presenting item
4L which is a resolution regarding the City's draft legislative agenda.
ITEM 4L
Resolution 12 -050, Adopting a
legislative agenda for the 83rd
Texas Legislative session.
Every two years the Texas Legislature meets in regular session. Over the last several years
the Legislature has taken up a number of issues that were thought to be, by some, an
aggressive stance with regard to City's rights to govern themselves in accordance with the
desires of the City's citizens. The City of Southlake wants to ensure that it has the ability to
preserve its current authority to govern the City, its citizens and property. Item 4L is a
resolution adopting a formal legislative agenda for the City to guide it's actions during the
upcoming state legislative session.
FA
General Legislative Policy
Preserve
Support
• Current authority
• Ability to advance strategic goals
• Legislation advancing strategic goals
• Legislation improving City welfare
• Legislation diminishing authority of City
• Mandates that increase costs
• Legislation that results in loss of revenue
The City has developed the attached a legislative agenda for consideration by the City
Council. As a general policy, the City of Southlake seeks to preserve its current authority to
govern the City, its citizens, and its property in accordance with its strategic goals and
interests. The City will oppose any legislation viewed as detrimental to the City's strategic
goals; or that is contrary to the health, safety, and welfare of its citizens; or that mandates
increased costs or loss of revenues; or that would diminish the fundamental authority of
the City. The City supports any legislation viewed as advancing the City's strategic goals and
interests; or that improves the health, safety, and welfare of its citizens; or that responsibly
increases revenues; or that advances the City's authority to conduct the public's business.
The City will oppose any initiatives that seek to erode municipal authority or that otherwise
have a negative impact on municipal operations.
Legislative Concerns
The City will oppose any initiatives that seek to erode municipal authority or that otherwise
have a negative impact on municipal operations, including but not limited to legislation
that would:
Erode home rule authority;
Detrimentally affect the City's financial position by reducing revenue streams or increasing
costs through unfunded mandates;
Erode the authority of Texas cities to manage and control their rights -of -way or other public
property and to be reasonably compensated for such use;
Erode current municipal economic development authority;
Erode the current authority of Texas cities to enact a system and set the level of impact
fees for new development;
Further restrict cities' ability to manage land uses or adopt or amend zoning regulations;
Erode municipal eminent domain authority; and
Any legislative requirement requiring the City to generate revenues for the State.
21
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Strategic Partnerships
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The City may form strategic partnerships with cities, political subdivisions, and private
sector entities that share common goals with the City of Southlake. Additionally, the City
will work in coordination with organizations such as the Texas Municipal League when their
adopted positions are in line with the legislative objectives and goals of the City. The
formation of strategic partnerships and coordinated efforts is intended to provide the City
with a stronger presence in the legislative process.
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Note that the draft legislative agenda has been developed with City strategy as its
cornerstone, and is actually included as part of the agenda itself. This allows us to have the
flexibility to deal with any issues that arise that we haven't considered at this time.
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Note that the draft legislative agenda has been developed with City strategy as its
cornerstone, and is actually included as part of the agenda itself. This allows us to have the
flexibility to deal with any issues that arise that we haven't considered at this time.
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Legislative Agenda
1. Budget Authority 6. Transportation
and Revenue 7. Collective
Sources Bargaining
2. Land Use Planning
and Zoning
3. Urban Gas Drilling
4. Economic
Development
5. TM RS
8. Open Records
9. Public Notices
10.Public Safety
11.Homestead
Exemptions
The remainder of the legislative agenda is broken down into the City's Legislative Issues
and the Goals of the Legislative Activities.
Each legislative issue is given a priority designation as follows:
Seek passage of legislation dealing with the issue
Support legislation dealing with the issue
Oppose legislation dealing with the issue
The Legislative Agenda includes the following issues:
1. Local Budgeting Authority and Revenue Sources
2. Local Control of Land Use Planning and Zoning
3. Municipal Regulation of Urban Gas Drilling
4. Protection of Local Economic Development Authority
5. TM RS
6. Transportation
7. Collective Bargaining
8. Open Records
9. Public Notices
7
10. Public Safety
11. Homestead Exemption
Staff Recommendation
• Council adoption of the draft
legislative agenda
The City Attorneys have contributed to the language of the proposed agenda, and staff
recommends passage of Resolution No. 12 -050 adopting the City of Southlake's Legislative
Agenda.
N .
U " 7 1TY OF
SOUTHLAKE
You should note that it may be necessary for both the staff and members of the City
Council to travel to Austin during the legislative session to deal with certain legislative
issues as they arise. Sufficient funds have been budgeted in the FY2013 budget to cover
these expenses. If you have any questions regarding the proposed legislative agenda please
contact me at 817 - 748 -8005.