Category Archives: Local Governmental Entities
Tax Incentive Provisions for Local Governments in Texas Set to Sunset Next Year
Attracting new businesses is a major point of emphasis for many Texas cities. New business means a growing community and new job opportunities. In Texas, cities and counties currently have a powerful instrument at their disposal to entice new businesses to join their community, but that may not be the case going forward. Under… Read More »
Changes to Texas traffic laws: Autonomous vehicles, Cell Phones and Child Rescues
If you are a licensed driver here in Texas, chances are you have received a traffic ticket at some point in your driving history. If you are a driver in a large city, like my home Houston, odds are you may have gotten a traffic ticket from one of several law enforcement agencies. If… Read More »
Texas Cities Pass Dog-Friendly Ordinances to Restrict Tethering
At some point in your life, you’ve likely seen a dog tied to a stake in the ground or tethered to a pole. Granted, sometimes it is necessary to restrain your pup. After all, we can’t just leave dogs free to roam around the city. That can be dangerous, and in many instances, against… Read More »
Go Vote, Texan!
Today is Go Texan Day here in Houston, Texas. Yep, it is a real day as proclaimed by our mayor and many mayors before him. Go Texan Day has been a real thing since the 1950s in Houston and surrounding cities. Historically, the Friday before the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo begins, when there… Read More »
When the Barking Won’t Stop: Man’s Best Friend or Public Nuisance?
I’m of the belief that dog is man’s best friend. But when the pup in question isn’t yours, sometimes they can do some pretty annoying things. Many of us have awoken in the middle of the night due to the woofs and howls coming from the yard next door. Perhaps you’ve gone out to… Read More »
Resign to Run? If a City Official in Texas Runs for Another Office, Is Resignation Required?
It seems a day does not pass without speculation or news about elected officials announcing retirement and/or facing challenges for office, on the national level and here in Texas. What happens if a city official announces his or her intent to seek another office? Must they step down from their current position? Generally speaking,… Read More »
Net Neutrality and Economic Development: Why Cities are Getting into the Wi-Fi Business
One of the Christmas presents I received is a Ring doorbell. It is a nifty little device that comprises a doorbell, camera and speaker. In an older house like mine, the doorbell does not always work, so to have a Ring doorbell that is Wi-Fi connected letting us know someone is at the door… Read More »
Setting Up a Municipal Zoning Review Board in Texas
In the state of Texas, municipal zoning authority is governed by Chapter 211 of the Texas Local Government Code. Section 211.003 specifically authorizes cities to regulate “the location and use of buildings, other structures, and land for business, industrial, residential, or other purposes.” Section 211.008 authorizes, but does not require, cities to appoint a… Read More »
Why Are States Fighting with Their Cities?
This past week, I just finished fighting off a surprise attack in the form of a lawsuit that included an emergency hearing on an application for a temporary restraining order, possible appeal to the court of appeals with an emergency motion to stay the TRO if it was granted. It wasn’t granted. I thought… Read More »
White Paper: Texas Rules for City Annexation
The 85th Texas Legislature changed the rules of the road for cities in Texas seeking to annex surrounding areas, putting limits on the practice. We initially discussed this in a recent blog on annexation and here have expanded on the topic in a white paper you can read here.