Category Archives: Local Governmental Entities
Film Friendly and Music Friendly Designation for Texas Communities
The Texas Film Commission’s Film Friendly Program (FFTX) trains municipal leaders about the film production process and how to generate economic development by facilitating filming requests in their community. The program started in 2007 as a certification process, and a marketing program initiated and overseen by the Texas Film Commission. The Texas Film Commission… Read More »
Incentives to Draw Commercial Business to Your Municipality
What are the key incentives to draw commercial business to municipalities in Texas? At the state level here in Texas, there are multiple incentives, not the least of which is no state income tax for businesses that relocate their employees to our state. The following are a few of the common incentive offerings that… Read More »
Regional Councils and Disaster Relief
It is likely that none of us pictured a hurricane or even flooding when we first read “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” where Samuel Taylor Coleridge describes “water water everywhere”. While heat is usually the topic of summer conversation, June 1st through November 30th is hurricane season in Texas. In fact, hurricanes and… Read More »
Municipal Code Enforcement
This blog follows my earlier blog regarding Texas Municipal Courts. Most Texans have received a parking ticket or traffic ticket and are likely familiar with the municipal court in the city they reside. In addition to the prosecution of traffic and parking offenses, city municipal courts also have the jurisdiction to enforce the city… Read More »
Show Me the Bacon: Davis-Bacon Wage Determination in Federally Funded Public Works Projects
With budgets falling into place and the beginning of the new fiscal year drawing near, grant season is officially around the corner. Federal projections have estimated approximately $1 trillion for aid to State, local, tribal, and territorial governments in 2023. With the annual review of public finances, along with the accompanying updates to local… Read More »
Public Information: Establishing Proper Identification
Governmental bodies subject to the Texas Public Information Act are not able to inquire into the purpose for which the requested information will be used. In fact, a single statute governs all of the inquiries that a governmental body may make of a requestor, the heading for which is aptly named “Permissible Inquiry by… Read More »
Charter Amendments
In a previous blog post, we discussed the process by which cities can adopt an initial city Charter. But what happens after adoption? Are cities stuck with the same Charter provisions forever? Changed circumstances due to population growth, the needs of the citizens, or even just the passage of time can necessitate the need… Read More »
Sovereign Citizens
Municipal courts across Texas in cities of all sizes have encountered individuals that claim to be “sovereign citizens”. Often encountered in municipal court but their numbers are rising so they may also be employees, residents or municipal utility customers. It is likely that all municipal prosecutors, municipal court administrators and judges have encountered individuals… Read More »
Catalytic Converter Crimes
This week, the City of Houston passed an ordinance requiring anyone in possession of a cut catalytic converter to show proof of ownership or face misdemeanor criminal charges. Like many Texas cities, Houston has seen the rise of catalytic converter thefts, with 3,188 thefts reported within just the first three months of 2022, a… Read More »
Contemplating Contempt
You are in contempt! Television courtroom dramas and national politics bring this to our attention very often. But how often does a court hold a party in contempt? Not very often. The process to hold a party in contempt is procedurally, shall we say, robust. It is used by the courts to restore order… Read More »