Sec. 552.002. CERTAIN PUBLIC SERVICES AND UTILITY SYSTEMS IN HOME-RULE MUNICIPALITY. (a) In this section, "public service" includes a public telephone system, street railway system, fertilizing plant, slaughterhouse, municipal railway terminal, dock, wharf, ferry, ferry landing, or shipping facility, including loading and unloading devices.
(b) A home-rule municipality may buy, own, construct inside or outside the municipal limits, and maintain and operate a gas system, electric lighting plant, sewage plant, or other public service or public utility and may require and receive compensation for services furnished for private purposes or otherwise. The municipality may use eminent domain authority to appropriate real property, rights-of-way, or other property as necessary to efficiently carry out those objects. The municipality may condemn the property of any person that conducts such a business or utility service for the purpose of operating and maintaining the public service or public utility and distributing the utility services in the municipality. In its charter, the municipality may adopt rules it considers advisable for the acquisition or operation of the public service or public utility.
(c) The municipality may manufacture its own electricity, gas, or anything else needed or used by the public. It may purchase, and make contracts for the purchase of, gas, electricity, oil, or any other commodity or article used by the public and may sell it to the public on terms as provided by the municipal charter, ordinance, or resolution of the governing body of the municipally owned utility.
(d) The municipality may require water works corporations, gas companies, street car companies, telephone companies, telegraph companies, electric companies, or other persons who hold a franchise from the municipality to extend their services to territory as required by the municipal charter.
Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 149, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1987. Amended by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 405, Sec. 44, eff. Sept. 1, 1999.
Renumbered from Local Government Code, Section 402.002 by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 885 (H.B. 2278), Sec. 3.76(a)(2), eff. April 1, 2009.
Section: Previous 552.001 552.002 552.0025 552.003 552.011 552.012 552.013 552.014 552.015 552.016 552.017 552.018 552.019 552.020 552.0205 NextLast modified: September 28, 2016