What happened: Texas lawmakers passed several new bills this year that will change how cities operate. Many of them directly affect Midland.

Why it matters: Midland will have to update its zoning and annexation processes, provide more transparency on bonds and budgets, adjust how it funds emergency services, and prepare for new state oversight on water, broadband, and public safety. Residents will see changes in how they’re notified about zoning, how they can weigh in at council meetings, what they can expect on bond election ballots, and how their water bills or property tax protests can be appealed.

Key points:

Transparency and taxes

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  • HB 148 – Requires members of appraisal district boards to complete annual training on ethics, budgeting, and property appraisal law. They must sign a written acknowledgment of their responsibilities, and failure to finish training is grounds for removal.

  • HB 762 – Puts a cap on large severance payouts for city employees or contractors, aiming to prevent wasteful taxpayer-funded packages.
  • HB 1522 – Council agendas must be posted three business days in advance, and budgets, tax rates, and impact statements must be posted online.

  • HB 3526 – Expands financial and conflict-of-interest reporting for city officials and vendors, aiming to reduce hidden ties.

  • HB 4219 – If you file a public records request, the city has 10 business days to reply, stating whether the records exist, confirming they’re withheld based on an Attorney General decision, or saying they’re requesting one. If the city fails to respond, you can complain to the AG.

Finance and debt

  • HB 4144 – Bond election materials and ballots must include the average tax cost for homeowners, so voters can see how much their taxes would increase.
  • SB 1025 – Raises the competitive bidding threshold from $50,000 to $100,000, allowing faster approval for smaller purchases but reducing checks on spending.

  • SB 1662 – Requires bond election materials to include total city debt and repayment timelines for clearer long-term costs.

  • SB 1851 – Creates penalties for the city if annual audits are not complete on time.

Zoning and land use

  • HB 24 – Raises the bar for blocking housing-heavy zoning changes. They now require signatures from 60% of nearby property owners (up from 20%). If that threshold is met, only a majority vote is needed. Otherwise, the 20% rule still applies with a ¾ vote required. The city must also give public notice (newspaper, online, signage), and rezonings allowing more housing are presumed valid unless sued within 60 days.

  • HB 2512 – Landowners in the five-mile extraterritorial jurisdiction surrounding city limits can petition to remove their land from city oversight.

  • HB 2559 – If the city wants to pause new building in an area, it must hold two hearings, notify property owners by certified mail, and get a three-fourths council vote. Any pause ends after 90–180 days, and the city can’t repeat it in the same area for two years. This makes sudden halts to housing or commercial projects less likely.

  • HB 4506 – Residents can sign up to get rezoning notices electronically. If they don’t, the city must keep mailing paper copies.
  • SB 1844 – If Midland annexes a neighborhood but doesn’t deliver basics like police, fire, EMS, water, sewer, trash, or street upkeep, residents can force a vote to deannex and return to county control.

Hotels and tourism

  • HB 5509 – Hotels suspected of human trafficking can lose their operating permit, but only if police provide evidence, a court approves, and the city holds a hearing.

  • SB 529 – Keeps Midland eligible for state hotel tax rebates tied to convention center projects, intended to reduce local costs for tourism development.

  • SB 1062 – Requires the city to post annual reports online showing how hotel tax dollars are collected and spent.

  • SB 1453 – Airport funds must stay within airport operations, limiting the city’s ability to redirect that money elsewhere.

  • SB 1494 – Hotel tax revenue can now be spent on cultural and historic projects, intended to boost downtown revitalization.