Texas Government

Our attorneys have assisted Emergency Services Districts and other governmental clients in conducting elections throughout Texas over the last two decades. We are ready to assist you in all phases of the election process: meeting requirements set by the Election Code and other statutes; drafting and filing election orders and related documents; contracting with county elections offices; and even directly conducting your own elections.

Elections have consequences, and so does failing to follow election laws. Poorly drafted orders can invalidate the results of proposition elections. Improper review of jurisdictional boundaries can disenfranchise eligible voters. Errors in ballot language can cause tremendous expense involved with reprinting paper ballots, reprogramming and retesting voting machines. We help you avoid potential mishaps to ensure that your election is conducted efficiently and legally.

We can help you contract with your local county elections office to conduct your election or help you secure election equipment and personnel to conduct your own election. We will coordinate with your local voter registrar to properly develop a voter list that includes only the eligible voters for your particular election. We assist you in producing all necessary documents – in all the necessary languages required by law for your area.

Whether it is electing your board of commissioners/directors, annexing new territory, increasing your tax rate or implementing a sales tax, we are ready to use our years of experience to help you conduct a successful election.

We will also assist you with any required post-election documentation and filings with your local appraisal district, the Texas Secretary of State and the Texas Comptroller.

The attorneys at Coveler & Peeler have years of experience assisting our clients in conducting effective communication with members of the Texas Legislature to look for solutions to operational problems. Whether it is responding to an inquiry from your local Representative or planning for an upcoming Legislative session, we can help you identify the issues, prepare your arguments and assemble a team to help reach your goals.

We are also ready to help you work with any governmental agency that affects your business operations. Our attorneys have responded to state regulatory agencies and many types of local governmental units who can regulate and otherwise influence how you conduct business. We can also help you negotiate terms and details regarding municipal annexations, licensing and permitting issues to achieve your operational and policy goals.

Our lawyers have government and administrative experience who have represented Emergency Services Districts, a state university system, an Improvement Districts, district attorneys’ offices and Texas state agencies. This representation has included formal proceedings in state and federal court, the State Office of Administrative Hearings, and before state agency regulatory bodies. We are ready to apply our experience to represent you before these agencies when adversarial proceedings ensue.

Importantly, we keep up with any changes in the laws that affect our client districts in order to help them maintain compliance with the revised statutes. This includes retaining on their behalf expert lobbyists that monitor and promote legislation that protects and enhances the services provided by our Emergency Services District clients.

Political Subdivisions of the State of Texas, like Emergency Services Districts and Improvement Districts we represent, are governed and regulated by numerous statutes beyond their basic enabling statutes. We work with the governing boards, employees and other consultants to ensure compliance with these diverse regulations.

To meet the requirements of the Texas Open Meetings Act, we prepare and review agendas and meeting notices to be sure that the governing body’s actions are supported by the proper action items and that those items are sufficient to provide the public the notice required by law. We also assist in determining which issues can be addressed in closed sessions under the narrow exceptions in the Open Meetings Act.

The Truth-in-Taxation requirements of Texas place strict requirements and deadlines on taxing entities. We stay current with the latest changes in the law to make sure our clients meet those deadlines and legally adopt their local tax rate.

The Texas Legislature has put in place numerous conflicts of interest, bidding and reporting requirements relating to the expenditure of public funds. From compliance with Ethics Commission reporting requirements, to maintaining compliance with the Public Funds Investment Act and the Public Funds Collateral Act, we are here to help our clients keep their affairs in order.

Texas also has laws in place that require the proper storage of your documents so that the public can access those records. We assist our districts with meeting the requirements of the Texas Local Government Records Act and responding to requests under the Public Information Act.

The attorneys at Coveler & Peeler have many years of experience assisting large state agencies and local governments with these issues and have done so many times over the years. Any questions about these matters? Talk to us about reviewing and advising your district on your regulatory compliance obligations. We are ready to help.