Sec. 351.124. HEARING. (a) The commissioners court of each county in the proposed district shall consider the petition for creation of the district at a public hearing.

(b) Within 10 days after the date a petition for the creation of a district is filed, the county judge of a county in the proposed district shall issue an order setting the date of the hearing on the petition by the commissioners court of that county and shall endorse the order on the petition or on a paper attached to the petition.

(c) After the order is issued, the county clerk shall issue notice of the hearing.

(d) The hearing on a petition for creation of a district must be held within 45 days after the date the petition is filed with the county clerk.

(e) A petition may be considered at a regular or a special meeting of a commissioners court of a county in the proposed district.

(f) The county clerk of a county in which a petition is filed shall prepare notice of the hearing that includes a statement of the purpose for the hearing, a brief description of the location of the proposed district, and the date, time, and place of the hearing on the petition.

(g) The county clerk shall publish a copy of the notice in a newspaper of general circulation in the county once a week for two consecutive weeks. The first publication must be made before the 14th day before the date of the hearing.

(h) At the hearing, a person who owns land or resides in the proposed district may appear and present testimony and evidence to the commissioners court for or against the creation of the district.

Added by Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 1, Sec. 74(a), eff. Aug. 28, 1989.