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214. RESOLUTION NO. 2004-142 R A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN MARCOS, TEXAS URGING THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE TO SUPPORT LEGISLATION RELATED TO THE COST OF FIRE AND POLICE SERVICES; AND DECLARING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. RECITALS: 1. State universities are valuable assets in host cities 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. 2. State universities also generate significant demands for police and fire services, 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. 3. 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. BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN MARCOS. TEXAS: PART 1. The City Council urges the Texas Municipal League to support the enactment of legislation that would expressly authorize state universities to enter into agreements with their host cities related to the cost of providing police and fire services. PART 2. The City Clerk, Janis K. Womack, is authorized and directed to deliver a copy of this resolution and the attached resolution cover sheet to the Texas Municipal League. PART 3. This resolution is in full force and effect immediately upon its passage. ADOPTED on August 23, 2004.