As the new year approaches, it is time to prepare for a new batch of interns. Your interns may have various goals and expectations, and it is up to you to help them have a positive learning experience. While interns may perform tasks in a municipal or government...
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...
The performance of public officials comes under routine scrutiny in Texas. When assessing the work of an official, ethics laws become the central measuring stick. Everyone who receives a public-service role has a responsibility to the public they serve. Ethics is...
Texas city and county governments take ethics complaints against employees seriously. El Paso is no exception. However, in an increasingly litigious world, El Paso is also like other Texas municipalities in that it sometimes must contend with frivolous ethics...
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...
Texas takes transparency seriously. The state’s Open Meetings Act, the roots of which date back more than a half-century, is meant to provide members of the public a window into the actions of their government. Among the key aspects of this act are notice...
There are numerous rules and regulations with which government workers must comply. Some of these rules are obvious and widely understood. Others are more obscure, even for employers and employees who seem to eat, sleep and breathe government work. But no matter...
In a perfect world, every government worker would know and follow the rules of conduct. There would be no financing violations or conflicts of interest, and there would be little need for elaborate compliance systems.However, the fact is that violations do occur. The...
In today’s world, going to work can include sitting in a café on the other side of town, or joining a meeting while on the other side of the world. What was once a luxury has become common in more industries and offices.While you may be able to do some of...
The Texas Public Information Act (PIA) allows the public to request large quantities of information about what is going on in the government. Although citizens may see it as a reassurance, it may seem more complicated for your government office.While you may not...
