Hidalgo County 82nd Legislative Program Summary

Elections:

• Increase eligibility requirements for Elections Administrator position; grant authority to

the Elections Committee for removal and suspension of Elections Administrator.

• Support HB 304 by Pena which requires that a person selected by a voter for assistance is
a registered voter of the county in which the election is being held, that the person
provide photo I.D. to an election officer and that the name be recorded by the officer, and
that the person may not assist more than two voters per day.

o In lieu of the recommendation above, support a change that would allow only
election officers to provide voter assistance.

• Amend the election code to add the following to the voter assistant’s oath: that he “is not
the voter’s employer, an agent of the voter’s employer, or an officer or agent of a labor
union to which the voter belongs.”

• Repeal the provisions found at Sec. 33.057(a), Texas Elections Code which allow poll
watchers to be present at a voting station and allow poll watchers to examine the voter’s
ballot. (This is only allowed when voter assisted by election officer.)

• Require that a governing body choose polling places that allow for the 100 foot
electioneering provision. (When a polling location has a 100 foot radius that extends
into private property, they can’t encroach into that private property, allowing for
electioneering inside the 100 foot marker)

• Require that a voter present an acceptable photo I.D. to an election officer prior to being
admitted for voting.

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Sherriff’s Courthouse Security:

• Increase the Courthouse Security Fees authorized under the Code of Criminal
Procedures. (This is to compensate for annual shortfall county pays out of General Fund
for Courthouse Security. Support HB395 by Rep. Gonzales, V. that calls for increase in
criminal conviction cases, not civil cases)

Public Health & Public Safety:

• Require solicitors of a tire reclamation center permit to attain County approval prior to
State approval; and require TCEQ to certify that County approval has been granted
before a TCEQ permit is granted.

• Authorize the county to provide primary care services through its health clinics.
(Currently under the Public Indigent Health Code, support provision under the Public
Health Code. HB394 filed by Rep. Gonzales, V.)

• Authorize the county to implement property maintenance codes, including the authority
to tear down hazardous structures, clean and mow private properties, and issue bills and
mowing liens for enforcement of collection.

• Obtain state/federal approval to declare the “border region” a special needs jurisdiction
under the Centers for Disease Control.

Transportation & Infrastructure:

• Grant the county zoning authority relating to the development within an established
Transportation Reinvestment Zone.

• Appropriate funding for the U.S. 281projects of George West and Premont.

• Authorize the Hidalgo County Drainage District No. 1 to obtain a no-interest loan from
the TX Water Development Board for Raymondville Drain Project.

• Authorize the HCDD No. 1 to recapture storm and underground water to reprocess and
sell for reuse.

Planning:

• Support amendment to allow a county to impose fees, not to exceed $100 per project, to
fund the implementation of the provisions set forth in House Bill 2833. (House Bill 2833
amends the Local Government Code to authorize certain counties in the Texas-Mexico
border region to apply building code standards specified in the bill to new residential

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 construction. The bill establishes inspection and notice requirements, authorizes the
county to take certain actions to enforce the standards, and establishes a penalty for
failure to meet notice requirements. 81st Legislature passed HB2833, but prohibits
county to impose fees to implement provisions)

• Amend the law (HB2833) to extend the Class C Misdemeanor to individuals who build
their own home without permit.

• Amend the law to allow the county to go to a Justice of the Peace for enforcement of the
“one single family dwelling per lot” rule.

• Amend the law (as to Roadside Vendors) to allow a county employee to issue citations
and submit to a Justice of the Peace for enforcement of the violation. (County has
regulatory authority to monitor Roadside Vendors, however enforcement through County
Attorney or District Attorney is timely and inefficient)

• Include a provision that allows commissioners court to exempt land donated for public
use from platting requirements.

• Amend the Transportation Code to provide the county with enforcement authority for
non-payment of fees imposed for street lights established in subdivisions located in the
county.

Veteran Affairs:

• Amend legislation passed (Proposition 9) that granted a full exemption from ad valorem
property taxes on a residential homestead to veterans who are classified as totally
disabled due to circumstances related to their military service. Authorize exemption to be
extended to surviving spouse in the event of veteran’s death.

• Support action on Prop. 8 passed Nov. 2009 by voters. HB55 filed by A. Martinez.
(Support action to construct a Veteran’s Hospital in the Rio Grande Valley or expand the
existing surgery center in Harlingen into a Veteran’s Hospital)

Emergency Management:

• Allow the county to impose a fee to offset the cost of the emergency plan management
mandate (To monitor and manage emergency plans required of home health care
agencies and adult day care centers. The mandate to monitor these emergency plans
was imposed on counties without any funding to implement and maintain the effort)

• Allow the county commissioner’s court to authorize peace officer status to its emergency
managers on a case by case basis only after all state and federal commissioning
requirements have been satisfied.

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 • Allow the county commissioner’s court to authorize the allocation of $1 of each vehicle
registration fee to fund radio interoperability improvements.

• Support continued funding for the Disaster Contingency Fund established by the 80th
Legislature by HB 2694 to provide local governments and State agencies assistance for
responding to disasters that are declared by both local governments and the Governor.

Other Supported Items

• SB 294 by Senator Hinojosa (81st Legislature) which expands to all counties the
ability to impose additional vehicle registration and road and bridge fees for mobility
projects (Transportation Code §502.172).

• Creation of a medical school and a law school in the Rio Grande Valley.

• Increase funding for childcare services for drop out recovery programs (i.e., PSJA
– College, Career & Technology Academy).

• Support increased funding for adult education.

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