Sec. 372.041. AUTHORITY OF HOME-RULE MUNICIPALITY. (a) A home-rule municipality may create improvement districts for the purposes of:

(1) levying, straightening, widening, enclosing, or otherwise improving a river, creek, bayou, stream, other body of water, street, or alley;

(2) draining, grading, filling, and otherwise protecting and improving the territory within the municipality's limits;

(3) issuing bonds to finance improvements listed in this subsection; and

(4) financing an improvement described in Subchapter A.

(b) If a home-rule municipality creates an improvement district in order to make improvements authorized by this subsection, the municipality must comply with the general law of the state relating to the creation of improvement districts. Bonds issued for improvements under this section must be issued in a manner that complies with the general authority of a home-rule municipality to issue bonds.

(c) A home-rule municipality may require the owners of property in the territory specially benefitted in enhanced value by improvements made under this section to pay the costs of the improvement. If a municipality finances an improvement under this subsection, the municipality shall make a personal charge against those property owners and fix a lien against that property by special assessment. The municipality may issue assignable or negotiable certificates to pay for the costs of improvements and require the property owners to make deferred payments to retire the certificates. Interest on deferred payments may not exceed eight percent. The municipality may appoint special commissioners or provide otherwise for the making and levying of special assessments under this subsection, or may provide that the making and levying of the assessment be performed by the governing body of the municipality, in compliance with requirements for hearings and other procedures as may be adopted under or required by the municipal charter.

Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 149, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1987.

Amended by:

Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 970 (H.B. 1400), Sec. 5, eff. September 1, 2011.