The governments of Texas towns, cities and counties are employers that must obey the same state and federal employment laws that private employers must observe. But just as in business, public employers such as municipalities, townships and counties sometimes face...
Texas Municipal Law Blog
Texts between school board members raise open meeting concerns
In the 21st century, school board business can take place in several ways: in in-person meetings, virtual meetings and electronic communications. Recently, a Dallas area school board president got into trouble though by possibly violating Texas open meeting rules...
A look at settlements of police misconduct lawsuits
This summer has been like no other. The nation has been roiled by a pair of historic phenomenons: the coronavirus pandemic and civic unrest following the death of Texas native George Floyd while in police custody. Floyd’s death prompted a nationwide wave of protests...
Fight brewing between Texas cities and state over funding, taxes
Since the death in May of Texas native George Floyd, there have been protests across Texas and the nation demanding police reform, including calls to “defund” police departments by redistributing funds to public safety programs and social service agencies. Austin...
Explainer (part two): the Texas Public Information Act
Regular readers of our municipal law blog will undoubtedly recall that we recently wrote about the Texas Public Information Act. Please check out that July 28 introductory post. At the end of it, we promised to pick up the topic where we left off: exceptions to the...
Explainer: the Texas Public Information Act
Residents of your town, city or county will have a variety of reasons to ask for information from governmental bodies. Whatever their reasons, the Texas Public Information Act “gives the public the right to request access to government information,” writes Ken Paxton,...
Part II: Texas businesses suing state, county and city governments
Regular readers of our Texas Municipal Law Blog undoubtedly know that we recently wrote about an emerging subset of litigation: Texas businesses suing city, county or state governments over coronavirus shutdown orders. Legal challenges to shutdown orders Christy...
Why Texas municipalities need robust water use plans
While droughts are not new for the lone star state, planning needs to happen for the future, one with a greater state population and ongoing climate change. Recently, the Texas Water Research Network, part of The University of Texas at Austin, completed a study about...
Part I: Texas businesses suing state, county and city governments
The coronavirus pandemic has unmistakably forced many changes in American lives, including a new type of litigation: companies suing Texas city, county and state governments over shutdown orders or contesting the definitions of “essential” and “nonessential”...
Budget pressure on Texas cities intensifies
With thousands of new coronavirus cases being reported daily in Texas, cities across the state are bracing for more drops in tax revenues. That revenue is needed, of course, to fund city services that include police, fire, education, libraries, street repairs,...
