| · Only one individual in the entire state testified against citizens having a say on whether or not their land is annexed by a city — and that was the lobbyist who is paid by the cities. During the Texas House Committee on Land and Resource Management’s meeting on Tuesday, lawmakers sparred with a representative of the Texas Municipal League, a big government taxpayer-funded lobby organization, over the issue of forced—or involuntary—annexation. Destin Sensky has the details. · Last session, lawmakers passed legislation requiring major cities to put forth a proposal for voters to consider and approve before they can forcibly annex land outside of their existing jurisdiction, with the option for residents of smaller cities to opt in via petition. However, not every county received the protection. This year, Weatherford Republican State Rep. Phil King has introduced legislation extending the voter approval requirement to cities smaller in population than 500,000. · The Texas Municipal League’s general counsel testified FOR forced annexation and against the legislation, saying city councils – not property owners – should “decide what’s best for them.” · TML’s taxpayer-funded opposition didn’t set well with Republican State Reps. Jonathan Stickland (Bedford) and Cecil Bell (Magnolia). · “My point is just this: when cities come to citizens with a value proposition, it is possible to have voluntary annexation and no need for involuntary annexation. You’ll end the enclave challenges and other things when you bring value propositions to those people. If you don’t have a value proposition, you should not touch that property.” – State Rep. Cecil Bell |
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| · Voters in Dallas County may be going to a different polling location in future elections. On Tuesday, the county began the process of transitioning from “precinct-based polling locations” to “countywide polling locations” for elections in November of 2019. Robert Montoya reports that Republican County Commissioner J.J. Koch was the only vote against the change, expressing concern that the county may have acted too late. |
| · Erin Anderson reports one Dallas mayoral candidate – Democrat State Rep. Eric Johnson – is fed up with the corruption at city hall, and he’s in a unique position to do something about it. Johnson says the city’s affordable housing tax credit program “has become the mother’s milk of political corruption in Dallas.” He’s pledged to introduce legislation this week aimed at reining in the program. · Johnson’s announcement came just days after ex-Dallas council member Carolyn Davis pleaded guilty to taking bribes from real estate developer Ruel Hamilton in exchange for supporting his low-income housing project. Former Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway, who resigned last August after pleading guilty to taking $450,000 in bribes and kickbacks in the Dallas County Schools scandal, was also implicated in Davis’ bribery scheme. |
