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215. 2004 TML RESOLUTION COVER SHEET Sponsoring Entity: The City of San Marcos Brief Background: State universities are valuable assets in host communities throughout the State of Texas. They serve their core purpose of providing higher education, and they also provide employment opportunities and contribute indirectly to local revenue through sales taxes on purchases by students, faculty and staff members. State universities also generate significant demands for police and fire services, however, including needs that are specialized with respect to university facilities. In several cases, enrollment at a state university is more than 50% of the resident population of its host city. Because state university property is exempt from property taxes, however, universities have traditionally made no direct payments to their host cities to contribute to the cost of providing fire and police services. The result is that the cost for these services is borne by the taxpayers in the host cities. What the Resolution is Intended to Accomplish: State law should expressly provide for state universities to enter into agreements with cities in which they are located for police and fire services rendered or made available to the universities by the cities. Payments towards the cost of these services would result in significant good will for the universities, and a much more equitable situation than the current system that imposes the financial burden for these services on the cities' taxpayers. Statewide Importance: State universities are located in host cities throughout the state. A change to state law to expressly authorize state universities to enter into agreements with their host cities for the provision of fire and police services would create opportunities for university-city partnerships in all of these communities. Submitted by: Name: Susan Narvaiz Title: Mayor City: San Marcos Telephone: 512/393-8085