Texas Home Rule Charter Survey
In 1994, the Texas Municipal League published a book called Texas Home Rule Charters. That book, authored by Professor Terrell Blodgett, was based on a detailed survey completed by each of the 290 home rule cities at that time. It has been an invaluable tool for city officials. Over the past fourteen years, dozens of cities have adopted home rule authority and still more have amended their charters, many with help from the book. With the explosive population growth in Texas, it is certain that many more adoptions and amendments are imminent.
In order to update the book, the League is once again conducting a survey of every home rule city in Texas. The survey was sent earlier this month to the city manager (or city secretary if the city has no manager) of each home rule city by both mail and e-mail. The survey is somewhat lengthy, but participation is vital to ensuring that TML collects accurate and timely data. The information that home rule cities provide will be made available to those seeking guidance about the best means to govern their cities and the current trends in that area.
We asked that surveys (along with a copy of the city's most recent version of the city charter) be sent to TML no later than February 6, 2008. If you have not already done so, please take a few moments to fill out the survey. For more detailed information, please visit http://www.tml.org/surveys.html, and click on "2008 Texas Home Rule Charter Survey." Please contact Scott Houston, director of legal services, at shouston@tml.org or 512-231-7400 with questions.