Need a ride? Pull up your Uber or Lyft app? Need a short-hop vehicle to get you from your office to the nearest mass transit? Look for a shared electric scooter. Add to these forms of online business the applications that support short-term home rentals through outlets like Airbnb and VRBO.
Getting short-term rental rules right
Paying for court-ordered public works
How's your city's infrastructure? Is it something you are proud of, or is it something of a sore spot aesthetically and financially? Do you even know what we're talking about when we refer to infrastructure? According to at least one city planning educator, the word is only about 35 years old. He says "public works" is the traditional term and he suggests it is better in that it describes the function and audience served.
What are penalties under Texas Open Meetings Act
In previous posts, we focused on requirements of the Texas Open Meeting Act (OMA), and the attention to detail required to ensure that processes and procedures are in place to ensure that government activities are conducted legally and transparently. In this post, we will offer a view of the consequences that public officials could face if someone claims violation of the law.
Ways to avoid government transparency law violations
Fostering the rights of the public to hold elected and other public officials accountable is crucial for the ongoing success of society. Because of that, all the states in the U.S. have adopted laws dictating the actions of government bodies regarding the formation of public policy.
United States Supreme Court Rules In Favor Of Local Governments
For years, businesses have been able to skirt the taxation power of local governments when selling goods online. Those days are over.
Whatever Happened To Governmental Immunity In Texas?
It used to be that taxpayers could expect a certain level of immunity for their municipalities. After all, why should taxpayers be punished for the rogue actions of one particular individual? A recent case from the Texas Supreme Court, however, should have taxpayers and municipalities concerned that the protection of governmental immunity is eroding. In Wasson v. City of Jacksonville (Wasson II), the Texas Supreme Court ruled that the city waived its immunity.
Will The Tarr Short-Term Rental Case Affect Texas Cities?
The Texas Supreme Court recently overruled a trial court and an appellate court, holding that the owner of single-family residential structure could indeed use it as a short-term rental property for parties and the like even though the covenant of the Timberwood Park Owners Association restricted use of the property to a residential purpose.
Upcoming Conferences for Texas Officials
On July 13 in Navasota and August 10 in Forest Hill, the Texas Municipal League (TML) will be sponsoring Problem-Solving Clinics for Small Cities. Each one day clinic addresses questions regularly faced by officials, both elected and appointed, who serve in small cities.
Upcoming Conferences for Newly-Elected Texas Officials
If you have just been elected to office in Texas, you might be wondering, "What now?" Running for office is one thing. Actually running the office itself, well, that's another.
Can open meetings occur over social media?
Transparency in government and the public process has been the goal of the Texas Open Meetings Act since it was adopted in 1967. The Act requires state and local government entities to ensure that the public can access and participate in many aspects of the decision-making process. New technologies and the widespread use of social media, however, have dramatically changed how both government officials and the public communicate, raising questions about how communication over social media could affect the public process.
