| (a) The rental of office space is not required for
the conduct of the primary elections.
(b) The SOS shall reimburse necessary office space
rental expenses incurred with respect to the administration of the
primary elections for a period beginning no earlier than November
immediately preceding the primary election and ending not later than
the last day of the month in which the primary election or runoff
primary election, if applicable, is held.
(c) If the rental of office space is necessary, the
county party shall rent office space in a regularly rented commercial
building. Office rent shall not exceed the fair market rate for comparable
office space in the same area.
(d) Unless such services are required in accordance
with the lease agreement, no payment may be made with primary funds
for janitorial services, parking, or signage.
(e) The county party may not rent or lease office space
in which the party, the county chair, the county chair's spouse, or
the county chair's family has a financial interest. (See definition
of "family" at §81.114(b) of this chapter (relating to Conflicts
of Interest).) Discounted office space does not exempt the cost from
§81.114 of this chapter, Conflicts of Interest.
(f) If the party leases space for the purpose of the
primary only, the county chair shall transmit a copy of the three
competitive bids obtained as well as the lease agreement to the SOS,
along with a copy of the final cost report.
(g) If the party maintains a lease, unrelated to the
conduct of the primary, the cost of that lease will not be reimbursed
in excess of 30% of the monthly rental cost by the state as a primary
expense, including utilities. In addition, if the party maintains
a lease unrelated to the primary, the SOS will not reimburse the party
for a second lease without prior approval from the SOS.
|
| Source Note: The provisions of this §81.129 adopted to be effective December 13, 2009, 34 TexReg 8665; amended to be effective March 7, 2012, 37 TexReg 1483; amended to be effective January 9, 2014, 39 TexReg 209; amended to be effective November 9, 2015, 40 TexReg 7811; amended to be effective October 29, 2017, 42 TexReg 5853 |
