Local Government
Local Government
Latest reporting from the Local Government desk.
Local Government
View MoreMissouri City sets tax rate cap, homeowners face $45 hike
Missouri City Council approved a maximum property tax rate of $0.578363 on Aug. 17, a 1.32% increase that would add about $45 a year to the average homeowner's bill, with final adoption set for September.
Local Government
View MoreFort Bend court cuts three judges, strips county attorney's staff
Fort Bend Commissioners Court voted 3-0 on Aug. 27 to cut three associate judge positions and create a new legal department under its control, stripping staff from County Attorney Bridgette Smith-Lawson's office despite packed public opposition.
Local Government
View MoreMissouri City homeowners apply for $90K in Beryl repair funds
The Texas General Land Office is accepting first-come, first-served applications from Fort Bend County homeowners for up to $90,000 in Hurricane Beryl home repairs or up to $75,000 in reimbursement for work already completed.
Local Government
View MoreHighway 90A crossings near Missouri City get federal overpass funds
TxDOT approved three Fort Bend County railroad grade-separation projects along Highway 90A as part of a $755 million federal safety investment, though construction timelines have not been set.
Local Government
View MoreFort Bend County bans outdoor burning amid drought
Fort Bend County Commissioners Court unanimously approved an outdoor burn ban for all unincorporated areas effective Aug. 27 at 5 p.m., as the county's drought index reached 634 out of 800; violations carry fines up to $500.
Local Government
View MoreThree Missouri City, Stafford leaders named to Fort Bend forum
Missouri City Police Sgt. Blake Howard, Stafford MSD Trustee Joyce Norton-Wilkins and Fort Bend ISD General Counsel Derrick Ward are among 60 professionals selected for the Fort Bend Leadership Forum Class of 2027, a months-long program covering criminal justice, education and local government.
Local Government
View MoreStafford EDC keeps full leadership slate after reorganization
The Stafford Economic Development Corporation re-appointed Alice Chen and Mayor Ken Mathew and re-elected its full officer slate at its Aug. 25 reorganization meeting, maintaining leadership continuity over a fund balance exceeding $25 million.
Local Government
View MoreStafford council to hear flood mitigation report Sept. 2
Stafford City Council's Sept. 2 meeting features the Drainage, Flood Mitigation, and Subsidence Committee's 2026 report and a discussion of amending the city's purchasing policy.
Local Government
View MoreMissouri City council unanimously approves 1.32% tax rate hike
Missouri City Council voted 7-0 on Aug. 17 to set a maximum property tax rate of $0.578363, a 1.32% increase that will add about $43 per year to the average homeowner's bill ahead of a September adoption vote.
Local Government
View MoreFort Bend county attorney sues commissioners to block new legal department vote
Fort Bend County Attorney Bridgette Smith-Lawson sued all four commissioners to block a vote that would transfer most of her 42-person staff to a new legal department, calling it political retaliation for her lawsuit to remove interim County Judge Daniel Wong.
Local Government
View MoreStafford school tax rate set to hold flat for third year in $45.1M budget
The Stafford City Council and SMSD Board of Trustees were scheduled to jointly adopt a $45.1 million school budget and keep the ad valorem tax rate at $1.002121 per $100 valuation for a third straight year at their Aug. 24 meeting, though official minutes confirming the vote have not yet been posted.
Local Government
View MoreStafford approves Flock cameras as misuse cases pile up across region
Investigations into Flock Safety camera misuse by law enforcement have expanded across Fort Bend County and the Houston region, raising oversight questions just weeks after Stafford's City Council approved its own Flock camera agreement on a 4-1 vote.
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