Rockwall Voices Op-Ed
Now that we’ve reached mid-May in the 89th Legislative Session, the Municipal Utility District reform scoreboard speaks volumes: Municipal Utility District reform bills – 0, MUD lobbyists – 12.
Despite support across Texas, the state legislature appears unwilling to stand up to the powerful network of lobbyists representing developers and consultants who benefit from the current system.
Texans deserve better. Our taxpayers are footing the bill while unaccountable MUD boards — often controlled by developer interests — continue to operate with minimal transparency, little accountability, and virtually no oversight.
Figure 1 As shown in Figure 1, two Municipal Utility District reform bills passed the House, HB 4211 and HB 363, and only 3 more MUD reform House Bills may or may not get floor vote then very limited time to get Senate committee hearing and a floor vote.
Let’s focus on why. When I testified on House Bill 2561 – Pierson, I was approached by a Municipal Utility District lobbyist in the hallway outside the committee hearing room.
He stated that requiring Municipal Utility District board meetings to be held within the taxing jurisdiction was an inconvenience for the lawyers and consultants. We are being unfair!
Did they express any concern for the taxpayers? Absolutely not.
Why does it matter? It matters, as Municipal Utility District lobbyists block all and any MUD reforms session after session.
I am glad House bill 4211 has a slight chance to get a Senate committee hearing, but the rest of the Municipal Utility District reform bills will not pass and be signed into LAW.
This is a Greek tragedy, as all 12 Municipal Utility District reform bills were good bills aimed at improving transparency in tax rate setting and the approval of new districts — yet they are being systematically ignored.
As Socrates once said, “The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new.”
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.
