(a) The governing body of a municipality by ordinance may designate as a reinvestment zone an area, or real or personal property the use of which is directly related to outdoor advertising, in the taxing jurisdiction or extraterritorial jurisdiction of the municipality that the governing body finds satisfies the requirements of § 312.202.
(b) The ordinance must describe the boundaries of the zone and the eligibility of the zone for residential tax abatement or commercial-industrial tax abatement or tax increment financing as provided for in Chapter 311.

Terms Used In Texas Tax Code 312.201

  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • in writing: includes any representation of words, letters, or figures, whether by writing, printing, or other means. See Texas Government Code 312.011
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Presiding officer: A majority-party Senator who presides over the Senate and is charged with maintaining order and decorum, recognizing Members to speak, and interpreting the Senate's rules, practices and precedents.
  • Property: means real and personal property. See Texas Government Code 311.005
  • Taxing unit: means a county, an incorporated city or town (including a home-rule city), a school district, a special district or authority (including a junior college district, a hospital district, a district created by or pursuant to the Water Code, a mosquito control district, a fire prevention district, or a noxious weed control district), or any other political unit of this state, whether created by or pursuant to the constitution or a local, special, or general law, that is authorized to impose and is imposing ad valorem taxes on property even if the governing body of another political unit determines the tax rate for the unit or otherwise governs its affairs. See Texas Tax Code 1.04

(c) Area of a reinvestment zone designated for residential tax abatement or commercial-industrial tax abatement may be included in an overlapping or coincidental residential or commercial-industrial zone. In that event, the zone in which the property is considered to be located for purposes of executing an agreement under § 312.204 or 312.211 is determined by the comprehensive zoning ordinance, if any, of the municipality.
(d) The governing body may not adopt an ordinance designating an area as a reinvestment zone until the governing body has held a public hearing on the designation and has found that the improvements sought are feasible and practical and would be a benefit to the land to be included in the zone and to the municipality after the expiration of an agreement entered into under § 312.204 or 312.211, as applicable. At the hearing, interested persons are entitled to speak and present evidence for or against the designation. Not later than the seventh day before the date of the hearing, notice of the hearing must be:
(1) published in a newspaper having general circulation in the municipality; and
(2) delivered in writing to the presiding officer of the governing body of each taxing unit that includes in its boundaries real property that is to be included in the proposed reinvestment zone.
(e) A notice made under Subsection (d)(2) is presumed delivered when placed in the mail postage paid and properly addressed to the appropriate presiding officer. A notice properly addressed and sent by registered or certified mail for which a return receipt is received by the sender is considered to have been delivered to the addressee.