Last month, the Dallas City Council passed a ban on pedestrians loitering on medians. The city stated that it saw the measure as a public safety necessity to protect drivers and pedestrians. Civil rights groups, however, immediately criticized the measure. Now, the...
Creative Representation For Governmental Entities
Municipal Law
What is the role of a municipal prosecutor?
Everyone has heard of prosecutors. They are the attorneys who work for the state to take criminals off the streets. While most people have an idea of what prosecutors who work for the district attorney’s office do, fewer people probably know about the duties of...
Handling non-agenda items in government meetings
The Texas Open Meetings Act (TOMA) allows members of the public who wish to address their local government to add items to the official meeting agenda. This is a positive way to involve residents in their local governments' decisions. Still, it can add too many issues...
Texas bans municipalities from working with firms that favor renewable energy
Oil and natural gas are a significant source of revenue for the Texas economy. However, many corporations such as financial firms are distancing themselves from fossil fuels, preferring instead to use renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power. In an...
Texas faces internal municipal lawsuits
Texas is facing legal heat from no less than six of its own cities. These suits are coming hot and fast due to a number of municipal matters. These are issues that no other type of measure seems able to quell. As a result, real estate, financial, and legal authorities...
New boot camps help municipalities secure federal grants
Federal dollars are critical for many small- and medium-sized towns throughout Texas. These cities often lean heavily on grant money as a source of funding. Securing those grants, however, is not always easy. Fortunately, there is a new initiative that provides an...
Texas cities seek unpaid taxes from Netflix, Hulu and Disney
The popularity of streaming services has significantly changed how Texans consume entertainment. Millions of Texans use Netflix, Hulu and Disney+ to stream their favorite TV shows or movies. These companies, however, currently face accusations from more than two dozen...
What is the role of a city attorney?
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...
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...