Rockwall Voices Op-Ed
As I sit through many committee hearings, I recently heard a State Representative on the Texas Land & Resource Committee say, “Government is incredibly slow, and private industry is generally faster.” Why does that quote matter? Great question.
Now that we’ve reached mid-April in the 89th Legislative Session, it’s clear that the state legislature is launching a direct assault on cities’ ability to regulate land development, zoning laws, and core municipal processes.
Here are the major themes emerging in city-related legislation:
1. Lowering school district property taxes and exploring the potential elimination of property taxes for seniors aged 72 or older • Examples: SB 4, HB 398, HB 382
2. Aggressive preemption of local decision-making • Examples: HB 950, HB 1835, SB 1509
3. Privatization of municipal processes—such as engineering reviews and home/building inspections—by transferring oversight to developers • Examples: HB 23, SB 2354, HB 2977
4. Eliminating sovereign immunity protections for locally elected officials • Example: HB 2715
5. Removing local authority to regulate within a city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) • Example: SB 1509 Let’s focus on the privatization of city processes.
Imagine this: A developer creates concept plans, detailed engineering drawings, stormwater reports, and a traffic impact analysis—then submits them to the city. The city reviews the plans, provides feedback, routes them through Planning & Zoning, and then the city council votes. If approved, the city conducts inspections to ensure the buildings are safe and meet city specifications. So far, so good.
But wait.
Under HB 23 and SB 2354, these core city responsibilities would be outsourced to third party engineering firms hired by the developer. The city would no longer be allowed to review the plans for accuracy or inspect the work to ensure compliance with city standards. The developer’s engineer would serve as both the reviewer and the inspector—effectively eliminating city oversight and accountability.
The responsibility for ensuring safe, well-planned development would shift from the city to the residents—after the fact, and without the tools to intervene.
If you believe in protecting local decision-making, I urge you to contact:
• Senator Bob Hall – bob.hall@senate.texas.gov
• Representative Katrina Pierson – katrina.pierson@house.texas.gov
Tell them to vote “No” on any anti-city legislation.
Sincerely,
Mayor David Billings
For Fate & Freedom
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this Op-Ed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official stance of The Rockwall Times. We encourage a respectful exchange of perspectives to enrich our community dialogue.
