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CC Resolution No. 2,695RESOLUTION NO. 2,695 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN, TEXAS, ESTABLISHING THE CITY OF BAYTOWN'S LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES FOR THE 87TH TEXAS STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION AND PROVIDING FOR THE EFFECTIVE DATE THEREOF. BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN, TEXAS: Section 1: That the City Council of the City of Baytown, Texas, hereby establishes the City of Baytown's Legislative Priorities for the 871h Texas State Legislative Session, which is attached hereto as Exhibit "A" and incorporated herein for all intents and purposes. Section 2: This resolution shall take effect immediately from and after its passage by the City Council of the City of Baytown. INTRODUCED, READ and PASSED by the affinnative vote of the City Council of the City of Baytown this the 281h day of January, 2021. i �11 : r� • .��� 1 �• • • ATTEST: LETICIA BRYS ®WriOW)k-'-A ity Cler APPROVED AS TO FORM: AVAKXRO�E. HORNER, City Attorney R: Karen Homer\Documents\Files City Council Resolutions\2021\January28\Establish202IStateLegislativePriorities.doc Exhibit "A" BAYTOWN LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES 8 7TH TEXAS LEGISLATIVE SESSION Local Authority We support the principal that government which governs closest to the people governs best. As duly elected representatives of the citizens of Baytown, we support the maintenance of municipal authority and oppose any measure which jeopardizes our ability, as a body accountable directly to our citizens, to make decisions that impact the quality of life in our community. We specifically discourage any legislation that erodes our ability to fund core services and critical projects. Property Tax Relief and Reform As elected leaders, we support measures to ease property tax burden from the shoulders of our residents; and for the last five years, Baytown has been in the forefront of doing so. We encourage the legislature to join with us in this ongoing endeavor by enabling the expansion of the local residence homestead exemption from 20 percent of a property's appraised value to 30 percent. Economic development Texas benefits from our local governments' ability to directly participate in bringing jobs and prosperity to our communities. We therefore support the preservation of all economic development tools that allow cities and other jurisdictions the ability to incentivize investment in our communities. We specifically support legislation that extends the sunset date for Chapter 313 tax abatement authority. Annexation and Municipal Land Use Authorit► We support policies that clarify the intent and impacts associated with s.b. 6, passed in the 851n Legislature. Specifically, we encourage the legislature to bring clarity to how limited purpose annexations should be addressed within the context of s.b. 6. We further support all measures to preserve municipal authority in the areas of municipal zoning, eminent domain, building codes, health and safety, and extraterritorial jurisdictions (ETJs), including the preservation of a city's ability to annex industrial district areas. Unfunded Mandates and Reverse Intergovernmental Aid We discourage any policy or legislation which forces the city to accommodate unfunded mandates and reverse intergovernmental aid. To that end, we do not support legislation requiring cities to fund former state and Federal programs without the means to recapture costs; nor do we support the imposition of additional fees or costs on municipal court convictions or the requirement that courts collect fine revenue for the State. Utilities We support all measures to preserve municipal authority regarding electric and gas utility rates, as well as the ability to seek and obtain reimbursement of expenses associated with rate case expenses. We likewise support measures and efforts that strengthen a municipality's ability to reduce the effects of oil and gas development on our residents. Transportation Mobility infrastructure is not a Baytown issue ... It is indeed a Texas issue that requires that all of us work unitedly to keep the life blood of our economy flowing. We therefore support all measures to preserve voter -approved use of street maintenance sales and use tax. We further support legislation that distributes Federal funding in a way that provides local governments with long-term support, sends those funds directly to localities, and gives local leaders a stronger role in a streamlined decision -making process. Finally, we support legislation that provides the Texas Department of Transportation with additional fiscal support for projects that benefit cities, such as the advancement of the San Jacinto River Bridge replacement initiative. Elections We support legislation that clarifies language related to the reauthorization of the street maintenance sales and use tax to more clearly define when a reauthorization election is to be held. Tourism Baytown is a community with a vibrant ecotourism base, yet is quickly becoming a destination for other recreational events and activities. To bolster this evolution, we*support adding Baytown to the list of eligible cities authorized to use Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) funding for "the promotion of tourism by the enhancement and upgrading of existing sports facilities or fields." We further welcome and encourage all support for Baytown's efforts to develop the Bayland Island Hotel and Convention Center. Both of these initiatives are integral to Baytown's ability to contribute to our State's and our region's tourism bases. Rights of Way Our city's ability to control use of its rights of way is critical to the delivery of important citizen services. We therefore support all efforts to strengthen and maintain municipal authority over the management of those rights of way. We further caution against any policy or legislation which would diminish a city's ability to be adequately compensated for the use of its rights of way. Ouality of Life There is no higher priority to our citizens than neighborhood quality. This is why it is critical that we strengthen and preserve a city's ability to regulate multi -family housing, abate substandard structures, and in all other ways nurture the health, safety, and comfort of our neighborhoods. We Welcome Your Partnership In Baytown we welcome the opportunity to support our Lawmakers' efforts to keep Texas the best place in the nation to live and raise a family. We believe this is accomplished one community at a time. We are equally convinced that these legislative priorities will empower all of us to propel Baytown and Texas forward, emerging from the challenges of the past a stronger and more vibrant Texas, even better enabled to confront both the obstacles and opportunities of the future. Thank you for your support and service.