Midland County Commissioners Like Bill Changing Unfunded Mandates
By: Karl Rundgren
Updated: February 14, 2011
ODESSA -- Local governments hate unfunded mandates.
Unfunded mandates happen when the state or federal government passes a proposal for changes, but doesn't come up with the money to make it happen. When a county is handed a mandate that's unfunded, they have to figure out how to pay for it -- often by asking for more local tax money.
But now there's a house joint resolution on the table -- House Joint Resolution 56 -- which could bring big changes to that plan.
"This resolution says if the state passes you a mandate and does not pass funding with it, then at the local level you can choose to do that action item or not," Midland County Judge Mike Bradford told Big 2. "This is an enormous benefit to local governments."
On Monday, Midland County Commissioners signed a letter in support of the resolution to State Representatives Tom Craddick and Tryon Lewis, and State Senator Kel Seliger. The commissioners hope that the resolution will make it through the legislature, giving more control back to the counties.
Unfunded mandates happen when the state or federal government passes a proposal for changes, but doesn't come up with the money to make it happen. When a county is handed a mandate that's unfunded, they have to figure out how to pay for it -- often by asking for more local tax money.
But now there's a house joint resolution on the table -- House Joint Resolution 56 -- which could bring big changes to that plan.
"This resolution says if the state passes you a mandate and does not pass funding with it, then at the local level you can choose to do that action item or not," Midland County Judge Mike Bradford told Big 2. "This is an enormous benefit to local governments."
On Monday, Midland County Commissioners signed a letter in support of the resolution to State Representatives Tom Craddick and Tryon Lewis, and State Senator Kel Seliger. The commissioners hope that the resolution will make it through the legislature, giving more control back to the counties.
