As residents of Texas’s Gulf Coast cities go about their daily lives, few stop to think about their city’s laws and who helps create them. That is where a city attorney comes in. City attorneys play a major role in shaping the everyday lives of thousands – sometimes...
Texas Municipal Law Blog
What is the Texas Tort Claims Act?
The question of liability is always present for most municipal entities. The piece of legislation that primarily deals with liability for local and state government entities is the Texas Tort Claims Act, or TTCA. Many everyday municipal workers are not familiar with...
How will municipalities handle short-term rentals and the housing crisis?
Communities throughout the Gulf Coast are growing increasingly concerned about the housing crisis. Local buyers are finding it harder and harder to find housing options within their budgets. The crisis has a variety of complex factors at play, one of which is the...
How you are protected by the Texas Whistleblower Act
The Texas Whistleblower Act applies to government entities both on the state and local levels, including school districts. This act provides protection against actions related to employment that would negatively impact an employee. When does it qualify as...
The Texas Public Information Act
Under the Texas Public Information Act, Section 552 of the Texas Government Code, all governmental bodies must adhere to strict disclosure rules. That means if a member of the public, including the press/media, asks for information, the request must be handled...
What are some defenses to municipal liability claims?
In today’s litigious culture, municipalities have to worry constantly about lawsuits. From a visitor slipping and falling on public grounds to a car accident involving a state-owned vehicle, the threat of litigation is high. So is the cost of arbitration, mediation or...
Do youth advisory commissions make a difference?
Meterorological summer begins today: June 1 and runs until August 31. This is not to be confused with astronomical summer which is from June 20 to September 22. Meterorological summer is usually the sunniest, hottest time of year. It is also the time when teens are...
What’s the point of having laws?
Any parent of a toddler knows that in any given situation, the question "Why?" is first and foremost, and sometimes annoying. When it comes to why we have laws, the answer seems obvious, "Because." Enough said. However, taking a deeper dive into the question of the...
A municipality by any other name…
In Texas we do not divide our counties into townships. Instead we have cities or municipalities that are either incorporated or unincorporated. It can get confusing when different words are used to mean the same thing. You call it a what? Other areas of the U.S. also...
The open public meeting law in Texas
The Texas Open Meetings Act regulates the open communication between members of the public and members of a governing body in Texas. This law affects government meetings that involve the discussion of public business. There are specific rules that require most public...
