BELL COUNTY, TX — Board members for the Bell County Water Control and Improvement District No. 1 finalized legislation Wednesday.
"We drafted a bill to go to the state legislature and that's what we were doing today was fine-tuning that bill so it closely reflects the needs of the district," Board member Dick Young said.
The Board for the Bell County Water Control and Improvement District was initially established in the mid-1950s to serve the City of Killeen and to serve Fort Hood, but it's grown tremendously since then.
"We are the largest wholesaler of water in the Brazos River authority which is very large and we control about 26.5 billion gallons of water on an annual basis," Young said. "We feel like we have become a regional type water wholesaler and we want the people in Copperas Cove and Belton and Harker Heights as well as the people in Killeen to have some management of the water resources."
House Bill 2105 would allow the board to expand the boundaries of the district.
In addition to the boundary changes, the bill would also split the district up into precincts and change the current five-member board to seven members.
HB 2105 will also keep the law that prohibits anyone who develops in the district from serving on the board. This charter combined with the expansion of the district could mean the current board president, John Blankenship would have to step down.
Blankenship develops land that is currently outside WCID 1, but the boundary change would put his land inside the district.
"The law is very specific, it says when you find out a person that is a developer is serving on the board you must replace them in 60 days so if the law becomes effective on September the first then he would technically be in violation. He is not in violation today," Young said.
The board approved the legislation Wednesday and it will now be up for a vote in a Local Bill Committee before going to the House and Senate Chambers.
Board President Blankenship said this decision isn't about what's best for him, but about what's best for the district.
