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...
Texas Municipal Law Blog
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...
Is a meeting in session any time a quorum is present?
The short answer is no. There are, when you think about it, many occasions when a quorum of members may be present; either at an event related to or wholly unrelated to government process. Three times when a quorum is not a meeting For precise language about this...
The uncanny history of Monopoly
No, this is not a post about the Sherman Antitrust Act or the FTC. It's about the game Monopoly, and how conventional wisdom about the game's origins can be misleading. Two different inventors According to the book The Monopolists: Obsession, Fury, and the Scandal...
Municipal law has been around since medieval times
Municipal law—those laws relating to a city, as opposed to a state, nation or many nations— can be traced to medieval times. As far as we can ascertain the city of Freiburg im Breisgau was one of the first urban areas in Europe to institute municipal laws. These laws...
What is a referendum, anyway?
You hear it all the time; that a school board is trying to pass a referendum. You see it on your voting slip. People might ask you, are you for the referendum or against it? Some of us are profoundly involved in the referendum process. To us, it can be a real...
Social media fuels local government engagement
Are you looking for a way to get people engaged with their local government? One of the best things you can do is organize on social media. Sites like Facebook, YouTube and others have become rallying points for civic-minded people and places to create more...
How Covid-19 affected city population trends
There are many reasons that might prompt someone to move to or from a city. Before the advent of the pandemic the three top reasons for a move according to Livability.com were for family reasons and: To get a new home or a better home To have their own home or...
What is municipal law?
Everyone wants to talk about municipal law. Well, that may not actually be the case. The truth is that not many people truly understand the full scope of municipal law. What is compelling is that it can, and often does, influence and affect our day-to-day lives....
