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...
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...
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...
When it comes to municipalities, not everyone understands the difference between a town or area being incorporated or unincorporated. So, what's the difference? The three types of general law municipalities Towns (larger than villages and smaller than cities) are...
After nearly two years we have become all too familiar with the impact of the pandemic on our families, workplaces, worship communities and social lives. But what changes will cities make to how they use and designate space now that the world has experienced a...
Recently community members and activists in Texas and in other states such as California have questioned whether the three-minute rule at public hearings is a violation of their First Amendment right. Currently residents are allowed to voice their concerns and...
While large Texas cities employ a city attorney who has a full-time staff, many smaller cities have just one attorney on staff to handle their legal needs. Some of the smaller cities use a combination of staff and outside counsel, while others use outside counsel...
Regular readers of our Texas Municipal Law Blog know that we recently wrote about Gov. Abbott’s Disaster Declaration issued in March for all Texas counties in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The governor has twice issued 30-day extensions of the declaration. If...
Municipalities survive on development and redevelopment. To attract developers, cities may need to utilize Tax Increment Financing (TIF). TIF is a financial incentive for private businesses to participate in projects designed to help the community. Local governments...
Municipalities provide support to their communities when they need it most. And in times like these, when people are ill or struggling financially, local governments must act fast. However, community tax dollars aren't always enough to foot the bill. Fortunately,...
