Tag Archives: MUDs

Maybe giving a millionaire his own government wasn’t the best idea

This story is absolutely bonkers. In 2019, the city of Dripping Springs was finalizing plans for a new pipeline to move wastewater from its busy north end to a regional treatment plant on the south. Half a decade in the … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Early voting for the May 7 elections begins tomorrow

We all have at least one election to vote in, so get ready to get out there. On May 7, Texas voters will have the opportunity to weigh in on two proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution, as well as … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Will we address the unincorporated problem?

The Chron proposes an agenda item for the Lege. Unincorporated Harris County The challenges of unincorporated Harris County are nothing new. For decades neighborhoods have sprouted up in the vast prairie west of Houston without any formal municipal governmental structure. … Continue reading

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Use that mandate in Harris County

Jay Aiyer pens an agenda for Harris County and its Democratic government. First and foremost, flood mitigation has to be at the top of any list. Harris County has taken good initial steps to improve flood control infrastructure, and the … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Is this development really necessary?

Boy, the optics of this sure are lousy. The Houston City Council has indefinitely postponed a proposal to build hundreds of homes in a west Houston floodplain amid questions about whether city leaders’ actions would match their rhetoric about mitigating … Continue reading

Posted in Hurricane Katrina, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

City buys out some flooded homes

Expect to see more of this. Houston City Council on Wednesday approved funding nearly 60 home buyouts across three flood-prone neighborhoods, the first such step from City Hall in recent memory. The city typically leaves buyouts to the Harris County … Continue reading

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MUDs and Harvey

City governments have their pros and cons, and their challenges getting things done. But at least their existence means residents of said cities have places to go when they need various services. Not everyone has that, and in times of … Continue reading

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More MUD muddles

Who needs collateral? When Houston businessman David Lucyk decided to develop land in northeast Harris County, he lined up a bank loan to pay for water pipes, sewers, roads and a stormwater detention pond. He offered the bank three items … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

MUDs and debt

Another story about the least-understood form of debt and taxation in Texas. In Houston’s conservative suburbs, where local governments are loath to raise taxes, the thankless task of hiking revenues has fallen to hundreds of so-called municipal utility districts created … Continue reading

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Stuck in the MUD

Tricky things, these municipal utility districts. MUD 187 came to be when a Houston developer arranged for two people to move their trailer onto a 519-acre site on the edge of Richmond in Fort Bend County, which at the time … Continue reading

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More on MUDs

The Chron covers this topic. A few months ago, a cabinet maker and his wife were recruited to move into a manufactured home parked on a dirt road that was plowed into the woods on the west side of Conroe … Continue reading

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

When low turnout is the goal

You really have to admire the sheer brazenness of this. Montgomery County Municipal Utility District No. 142 is yet another special-purpose district this election cycle using what appears to be a service that hires voters to pass MUD elections in … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The games our tax system plays

I find this just fascinating. It’s been described as bribery, taxation without representation and a shady political maneuver. Others have called it an innovative way to deal with budgetary problems and get things done. Ever since Texas lawmakers made it … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment