Texas Tomorrow

There are thousands of rental homes Texans will never own—because corporations do. And a new $4 billion deal is set to add even more to their portfolios.

Texas just learned it needs $174 billion to keep the water running, more than double what it projected four years ago. Corpus Christi may run dry by next year. So where did all the planning go?

Your county judge can order you to evacuate, override your mayor, commandeer your property, and govern by executive order — all without a single vote from anyone else. Did you know that?

Who gets to pass an ordinance in Texas, or more importantly, who gets the final say? Not always who you think.

Houston City Council just passed an ordinance limiting when HPD can contact ICE. Chicago, Denver, New York, and Long Beach have done the same thing.

Houston is spending half a billion dollars to look good for the World Cup and Arlington invested millions. Texas loves hosting the world, but is the mega-event economy a public investment or a public shakedown?

As Corpus Christi faces an emergency that could impact the rest of us, are its local officials able to meet the challenge?

Governor Abbott just launched a statewide Jobs Council but the skilled trades shortage it's supposed to fix is already reshaping what gets built across the state, and what doesn’t, so will it help?

Citizens can hold their local government accountable by reporting them, a good tool or bureaucratic Battlefield?

One of Texas's biggest industrial ports needs 60 million gallons of new water a day by November what happens if they miss?

Seats are emptying and schools are closing but do we know exactly why?

-New UT Poll Shows Tight AG Race, Close Senate Contest-Hood County Rejects Data Center Moratorium, Pressures DA on Appraisal District Audit-Texas Education Freedom Accounts Hit 130,000 Applications at Midway Mark

Over 400 data centers are operating or under construction in Texas. The $500 billion Stargate project alone will draw enough power to light 750,000 homes. And yet the state's water plan doesn't include a single line for data center demand, call that an accountability gap.

Texas school districts are spending hundreds of millions without board approval, did the state make it easier to do more of it? If your school district spent $870 million without board approval, would you call that efficiency or a governance failure? That's not hypothetical, it’s happening right now.

School board meetings have become battlegrounds—but most parents still have no idea how much power these elected officials actually hold over their kids' education.

Texas local governments come in all sizes, but is there a "right" size?

Some jurisdictions are so small they fly under the radar, but these invisible governments shouldn't go without accountability.

What happens in communities where people’s access to their officials, whether through network or time constraints, is limited? Who upholds accountability?

We’re used to not trusting talking heads and distant politicians, but what happens when it's our neighbors we start to question?

Every year, cities release polished budget presentations full of promises, but the real financial story is hidden in a boring document most citizens never read.

The Texas legislature has recently passed bills aimed at lowering housing costs through deregulation, but local municipalities are fighting back. Learn how these bureaucratic hurdles are being used to kill new developments and keep rent prices high in your backyard. 

In rural Texas, where high school enrollments have plummeted below 104 students, the 11-man game has been replaced by 6-man football. Is this beloved tradition a sign of resilience, or merely a symptom of inevitable demographic and economic decline in rural America? 

Boards and commissions are stacked with insiders whose names you should know, but you should be paying attention to what they're doing.

Bee Cave residents fought back and told their city that if they want to make land deals, they must first ask voters. Will it work? 

Across the state, microtransit firms are popping up, replacing fixed bus networks, but they might not be all they are made out to be.

Is local government or local governance running your town? The difference matters, and you should know why.

When the federal government shuts down, local government keeps going. Why is that?

P3s are popular across the state and are billed as innovative solutions to public projects, but do they cause more harm than good?

Local governments are increasingly using AI to support their work, but as with any tool, it's only as good as its user. So, should citizens be concerned?

Stadiums, convention centers, and arenas are receiving billions in technical upgrades, facelifts, and expanded footprints in Texas in hopes of luring the next big convention. Will it be a boom or bust?

No one wants to take the blame for broken county jails in Texas, but you’re left holding the bag.

Fraud isn't just for credit cards or card games; it's happening where you live. 

Local governments are racking up debt and trading your future. Isn't it time you had a say?

A scandal is still unfolding as more teachers are embroiled in a certification test-taking scheme.

HOAs wield a lot of power; is it time some of that is curtailed?

Billions are spent on stadiums and arenas with the promise of increased economic return. Are taxpayers seeing those promises come to fruition?

Will Trump's Executive Order targeting homelessness incentivize cities to finally address the issue, or will they continue to shuffle and hide it as they've always done?

Less than 230 local entities have even one transparency star. Why is that?

Public safety is increasingly being outsourced and privatized in Texas neighborhoods due to a crumbling trust in local government. What do you think will be best?

Cities are spending millions clearing homeless encampments…but the tents keep coming back. Why are we constantly told that homelessness is solved, and yet we can't seem to see it for ourselves?

DAs across the state are refusing to enforce the law. That spells trouble for the rest of us.

Public corruption is widespread, and local officials make up a large number. What's going on?

Baytown is getting a massive stadium, but no one knows when, why, or where.

Another Texas town abolishes its police force, an outlier or the new norm?

While state law bans quotas on tickets, it says nothing about quotas on traffic stops. Not much different, is it?

Bills targeting billions of dollars in local transit dollars died in calendars committee. Local taxpayers deserve to know why.

Small-town corruption is often more offensive than in big cities. This one from Edcouch, TX, is no different.

Whether you're involved in your local school district or not, your money is. Be aware of what's going on. 

Cops in overworked and underpaid agencies are leaving for better opportunities.

School districts across the state are leaving money to protect themselves from data breaches on the table.