Category Archives: Local Governmental Entities
Municipal Authority vs. State Directive: Analyzing Texas Roadway Marking Requirements
In early October 2025, Governor Greg Abbott directed the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to enforce the removal of non-standard roadway markings that convey “social, political, or ideological messages” from Texas streets. The directive, which aligns with a July letter from U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, further warns that any Texas county or city… Read More »
Beware of the Change Order!
It is spooky season, and we are here to inform you about another recent legislative change effective September 1, 2025, that might just come back to haunt you. In July, we told you all about Senate Bill 1173, whereby the legislature doubled the competitive bidding threshold for local governmental entities in Texas Local Government… Read More »
Good Boy! Modifying Employee Policies for Service Animals Under the ADA
In recent years, Texas cities have seen a rise in requests from employees to bring service animals to work. Texas municipalities face unique legal considerations in determining when and how to provide such an accommodation. Understanding the intersection of federal and state laws is crucial for cities to establish policies ensuring employee protection and… Read More »
Liberty and Custard for All: The Food Truck Freedom Bill Means Less Local Regulation on the Menu
House Bill 2844 (“HB2844”), nicknamed the “Food Truck Freedom Bill” (see HB2844 author Republican House Representative Brooks Landgraf’s Instagram post celebrating HB2844’s imminent successful passage at https://www.instagram.com/p/DKTVWlNMYLf/?hl=en), aims to centralize and streamline regulation of mobile food vendors across Texas by requiring a single, state-issued permit and preempting most local regulation of food truck-related industry…. Read More »
Elections 101: How to Resolve a Tie Vote, Part Deux
Earlier this year, we explored how to resolve a tie vote in an election requiring a plurality vote under Texas Election Code Section 2.002. A plurality vote simply means that one candidate need only have more votes than another candidate. But what happens in those jurisdictions for which a majority vote is required? A… Read More »
Texas Legislature Provides Some Clarification on Municipal Authority over Short-Term Rentals
The rapid growth of short-term rental (STR) platforms has created regulatory challenges for Texas municipalities seeking to balance property rights with community interests. While recent judicial decisions have attempted to clarify the extent of municipal authority to regulate these operations, without a state statute which specifically preempts or authorizes a Texas municipality to regulate… Read More »
Keeping Local Systems in Line: Has the Death Star Reached Its Ultimate Power?
On Friday, July 18, 2025, the litigation challenging what has been colloquially dubbed the “Death Star Bill” (AKA the Texas Regulatory Consistency Act; herein “TRCA”) met a fatal blow. The Third Court of Appeals of Texas dismissed without prejudice the City of Houston’s (“COH”) lawsuit seeking, under the Uniform Declaratory Judgments Act (“UDJA”), a… Read More »
Behind Closed Doors: Understanding the Rules of Executive Session Disclosure
We’ve written about the Texas Open Meeting Act many times before, but from a legal standpoint, what happens if someone reveals what happened in Executive Session? The answer might be somewhat surprising. Common sense dictates that if something is allowed to be discussed in closed session, it should have to stay in closed session…. Read More »
Texas SB 1173 Doubles Competitive Bidding Threshold
Earlier this year, the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 1173, raising the competitive bidding threshold for local governments from $50,000 to $100,000 effective September 1, 2025. This means cities, counties, school districts, and other local entities can now make purchases or enter into contracts up to $100,000 without having to go through a formal… Read More »
ALERT: New Open Meetings Act Notice Deadline
Once upon a time, municipalities and other entities subject to the Texas Open Meetings Act (the “Act”) were required to post notice of their meetings seventy-two (72) hours prior to the date and time of the actual meeting. This meant that an entity with regularly scheduled Monday night meetings would be perfectly in compliance… Read More »