Category Archives: special districts

Bonjour. Texas Eminent Domain Database. 3 Key Points. 1 Entity Type. 1488 Authorizations of Eminent Domain.

Access the database here: Comptroller’s Online Eminent Domain Database COEDD

Search by: 

  • Entity Name
  • Entity Location
  • Entity Type:
    • City 
    • County
    • EDC
    • ISD
    • Municipal Water, MUD, Irrigation District…
    • Other special district- emergency services, hospital district….
    • Pipelines and related
    • Telecommunications and telephone
    • Railroads

By the numbers:

  • 408 results in pipelines
  • 54 results in communications
  • 98 results in other special districts
  • 1488 results in water…

Legal Trend. Clear Public Necessity.

The Court: New Jersey Supreme Court

The eminent domain: Taking a personal residence by the  Casino Reinvestment Development Authority

The Court Ruling: There is no public use, and no legislative authorization, because the special district didn’t have a clear plan

Washington Post | Court strikes down taking that is “a manifest abuse of the eminent domain power”

INTERIM. 4 Ways Eminent Domain is Destroying Texas Landscapes

Let us count the ways that eminent domain is destroying land, irreplaceable landscapes and precious natural resources in Texas:

  • Private companies using land for profit
  • utilities and infrastructure running rampant
  • The proliferation of MUDs
  • MUDs serve private developers 

Wimberley Valley Watershed | How Eminent Domain Abuse is Destroying Texas’ Most Valuable Landscapes

INTERIM. Activist Says TX Lege Will Remove Eminent Domain from Special Districts

What eminent domain issue sparked this activist rebuke? Johnson Ranch MUD approval of eminent domain proceedings against neighboring farm lands

What did the property rights activist say? That the Legislature is ready to remove the power of eminent domain from MUDs.

New Braunfels Herald Zeitung | Activist: MUD should expect eminent domain change

INTERIM. Private Property Rights. 3 Trends Changing the Definition of Special District.

  • New IRS regulations
    • will make it harder for special districts to borrow money tax-free
    • IRS says special districts are benefitting by a tax rgulations meant for cities, not for special districts
  • Special District Growth
    • 39,000 special districts in the U.S.
    • spending more revenue than all cities in the U.S. combined
  • Changing the defintion of local government
    • ​IRS standard is any 1 of these 3 makes an entity a municipality:
      • Does it have the power of taxation?
      • Does it…

Lege TREND. Eminent Domain Expansion. Special Districts.

Which state is considering expanding the use of eminent domain? California

Why the push to expand eminetn domain use? To clean up blighted buildings through special districts called Enhanced Infrastructure Financing Districts

What do these Enhanced Infrastructure Financing Districts​ do with eminent domain? Combat urban blight with urban renewal projects

What does California Assembly Bill 2492 do? Expands the number of local governments that can access Enhanced infrastructure…

INTERIM. Editorial. TX City Changes Eminent Domain Process. Gets it Right in 3 ways.

What good acts did Dallas City Council do on eminent domain?

  • After hearing from a constituent that could not afford to relocate based on the city’s offer, the city paused the project to find a better solution.
  • City Council members also forced a review of the city’s eminent domain procedures
  • City Council returned to a 2 step eminent domain process.
    • Step 1: Try to reach an agreement with the land owner
    • Step 2: When no agreement is reached, City Council must separately approve eminent…

INTERIM. 2 Problems. Property Rights. 1 West Houston TIRZ.

The Memorial City TIRZ, a special district, in located in west Houston, is geerating attention for these structural and operational problems:

  • The TIRZ was created in 1999 by Mayor Brown
    • It called for “qualified neighborhood residents” to be the board members
    • Spring Branch West Super Neighborhood says appointees aren’t being vetted through them, and they have no representation on the board
  • Flooding sparked a lawsuit against the TIRZ
    • A 2 year flood led the Residents Against Flooding…

National Editorial Opposes Dallas Use of Eminent Domain. 4 Bits Informed Intel.

Which publication took the side of a small business owner in an eminent domain situation in Dallas? Wall Street Journal

What is the Dallas eminent domain issue?  Dallas wants to acquire a local auto repair shop to create a gateway to its arts district

How is Dallas acquiring this property? Some say that Dallas zoning ordinances are being amended to prohibit the operation of the auto body shop. 

What did the editorial say about Dallas’ zoning law changes that caused businesses to…

Comptroller's Eminent Domain Data Base Getting Attention

Wharton area residents are reciving information on Comptroller Hegar’s legislative enacted Eminent Domain transperancy data base set to go online soon. 

Wharton Journal Spectator | New law promotes transparency for eminent domain

Comptroller Eminent Domain Transparency Project