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Government Information Connection: Public Policy Resources

This guide offers information about locating legislative resource, administrative code, and public policy analysis.

Municipal Ordinances

The following information is take from the Texas State Law Library website.

In Texas, the Local Government Code, in the Texas State Statues, outlines a municipality's authority to enact ordinances within its jurisdiction. The different types of municipalities (e.g., home rule, general law) have specific procedures for enacting ordinances. Local ordinances are usually enforced by local law enforcement agencies such as city police departments.

Counties have some authority to enact ordinances, but a county's authority is generally more limited than that of a municipality.

Locating ordinances:

  • City ordinances may be accessible online through one of the following sites. Otherwise, the city secretary or the local public library may be able to provide access to city ordinances.
  • For county ordinances, first check the county's official website because some counties publish their ordinances online. Otherwise, the county clerk, county judge, county commissioners, or the local public library may be able to provide access to county ordinances.

Texas Municipal League

Taken from the Texas Municipal League (TML) website, The League exists solely to provide services to Texas cities. Guided by it's purpose statement - Empowering Texas cities to serve their citizens - that mission translates into the following services:

  1. To represent the interests of member cities before legislative, administrative, and judicial bodies at the state and federal levels.
  2. To sponsor and conduct an annual conference and other conferences, meetings, workshops, and webinars for the purpose of studying municipal issues and exchange information.
  3. Make available an official magazine and other publications, reports, and newsletters of interest to member cities.
  4. Provide for and conduct research on relevant and timely topics related to municipal government.
  5. Alert member cities of important governmental or private sector actions or proposed actions which may affect municipal operations.
  6. Promote the interests of League affiliates (which represent specific professional disciplines in municipal government) and TML regions by providing organizational and technical assistance as directed by the Board of Directors and consistent with financial resources.
  7. Promote constructive and cooperative relationships among cities and between the League and other levels of government, councils of governments, the National League of Cities, educational institutions, and the private sector.
  8. Provide, in a timely manner, any additional services or information that individual members may request, consistent with the member cities' common interests and the League's resources.

Municipal Ordinance Process

infographic of the municipal ordinance process

Image credit: https://www.statescape.com/resources/local/ordinance-process/