The Galveston
Government
League City moves to regulate data center development
A new ordinance with permitting requirements would allow League City to control where, how and whether data centers are built, Mayor Nick Long said Monday....
Wharves Board tightens oversight of fifth cruise terminal negotiations
The port's governing boar4d considered a proposal to pause all written and verbal negotiations with any cruise line requiring construction of a fifth terminal until the mobility study was completed and presented to the board and public....
After 200 years, Galveston Wharves Board names first woman chair
Sheila Lidstone has been elected the first woman to serve as chair of the Galveston Wharves Board of Trustees, taking the helm as the port navigates continued cruise growth, major cargo investments and decisions that could shape the waterfront for…...
Texas City holds public discussion on Flock license plate readers
The presentation came amid questions from residents and commissioners about privacy and oversight of the technology.
Texas City adopts tax rate as commissioners clash over city’s financial condition
The city’s no-new-revenue rate is expected to generate about $35.2 million in property tax revenue. About $30 million will go toward maintenance and operations, while roughly $5.2 million will be used for debt service, Finance Director Laura Boyd told commissioners....
Galveston ISD trustees vote to continue Ten Commandments lawsuit
Trustees spent more than two hours behind closed doors before voting 5-2 in favor of a motion by David O’Neal Jr. to take no action until a court hearing Thursday, seconded by Elizabeth Beeton....
Santa Fe ISD approves plans, contract for Santa Fe Ten Memorial
Santa Fe ISD trustees voted unanimously Monday to approve plans for the $2.5 million Santa Fe Ten Memorial and Healing Park and a construction manager-at-risk contract associated with building the memorial....
Santa Fe cuts tax rate after capital spending boost
At the council meeting, which also included a vote to prohibit gambling machines, council members approved the no-new-revenue property tax rate, about 1 cent lower than the current rate of about 23 cents per $100 of taxable value....
La Marque council approves tax rate after contentious debate
The council voted 3-2 to adopt a tax rate of almost 43.8 cents per $100 of taxable value, 3.9 centers higher than the no-new-revenue rate of about 39.9 cents....
Kemah OKs budget with raises, cuts tax rate
City council met at Kemah City Hall, 1401 state Highway 146, Wednesday to approve the budget for the next fiscal year beginning Oct. 1.
Coast Guard, FBI boarded Galveston-bound tanker after possible cyberattack
Coast Guard and FBI personnel boarded the 1,093-foot Liberian-flagged VL Prosperity Aug. 21 after officials determined its network may have been compromised by a foreign actor, according to the Coast Guard....
Galveston council approves several variances for denser Sachs on Seawall development
The council voted unanimously in favor of granting Royal Crown Enterprise LLC an amended development plan for the project at 10302 Seawall Blvd., praising CEO Mohamed Eldawy’s efforts to work with the city and listen to residents’ concerns....
Galveston County United Board of Health approves county administrative takeover
Chairman Tyler Drummond and the board’s two other members voted unanimously in favor of the agreement, touting between $3 million and $5 million in projected long-term savings from consolidating administrative positions and software systems....
Galveston city council to consider denser Sachs on the Seawall development
The Planning Commission recommended approval of the amended planned unit development for Sachs on the Seawall, at 10302 Seawall Blvd., Aug. 18, after Mohamed Eldawy, CEO of Royal Crown, sought to increase the project’s density from a plan previously approved…...
Galveston to restore iconic Texas Heroes Monument despite ownership questions
City Council approved a nearly $121,317 contract with R. Alden Marshall & Associates to clean and seal the monument’s granite and clean, polish and wax the bronze sculptures. Hotel occupancy tax revenue will fund the work, officials said....
Santa Fe City Council to vote on gambling machines
Santa Fe would become the fourth city in Galveston County to outlaw the machines, sometimes called eight-liners, if the ordinance passes Thursday on second and final reading....
Galveston County adopts 2027 budget, lowers property tax rate
County Judge Mark Henry and all four commissioners approved a property tax rate of slightly more than 32.4 cents per $100 valuation, down from the current rate of almost 32.6 cents....
Galveston adds African American cultural district
The Texas Commission on the Arts designated the area from 20th to 35th Street, and Broadway to Seawall Boulevard as the Galveston African American Cultural Heritage District earlier this month, after an application process that began in 2024....
Galveston City Council approves 2027 property tax rate
Council members voted 5-2 to adopt a tax rate of about $0.416 per $100 of valuation, which city staff expect to generate roughly the same amount of revenue the city collected this year. Councilmen Alex Porretto and Jason Hardcastle voted…...
League City council supports arts plan for historic Walter Hall House
The Art Guild of League City, a tax-exempt nonprofit, sought council support to use the Walter Hall House as studio, gallery and community meeting space....
Margaritaville at Sea to become seventh line sailing from Galveston
The cruise line unveiled Wednesday a slate of four- to seven-night itineraries aboard the Beachcomber, which is scheduled to begin sailing from the Port of Galveston in October 2027....
League City council approves 12th year of tax rate cuts
The council unanimously approved its budget Tuesday for the 2026-27 fiscal year, cutting the property tax rate for the 12th consecutive year.
Hitchcock creates reinvestment zone to prepare for future development
The Hitchcock City Council unanimously approved the creation of Hitchcock Reinvestment Zone 3 on Aug. 17, establishing a commercial-industrial tax-abatement reinvestment zone covering 283.786 acres at 8340 FM 2004....
Rotary marks milestone by giving Galveston a voice and a vote
The Rotary Club of Galveston Island Foundation has launched the Community Choice Grant, a new initiative that will allow Galveston residents to help determine how Rotary invests $20,000 in a local project....
Galveston County voters urged to check registration amid card delays
Loretta Davis, a precinct chair for the Galveston County Democratic Party, told The Daily News Monday that she’s received multiple calls and texts from voters concerned about their registration status....
Texas City approves 1,318-acre Latitude Margaritaville Galveston Bay community
City commissioners voted 6-0 to approve a planned unit development and a development agreement with Minto Communities USA, despite criticism from former Mayor Dedrick Johnson over infrastructure demands, development standards and potential costs to taxpayers....
Electric plane touches down at Scholes International Airport in Galveston
On board BETA Technologies’ CX300 was 720 pounds of rescue equipment meant to simulate disaster relief scenarios as part of a weeks-long flight-testing regimen in the Greater Houston area, Zachary Heibel, a BETA Technologies team member, said....
Tax bills might increase on Galveston property value dip
Council voted 4-3 in favor of an operating budget of about $255 million based on a property tax rate of $416.273 per $100,000 of taxable value with a 1% salary increase for non-public safety staff to offset higher health insurance…...
Proposed state windstorm insurance change could leave many Galveston residences uninsurable
Association board member John Todd proposed eliminating coverage for secondary homes to reduce the association’s potential exposure by about $19 billion. Nearly 60% of the association’s secondary-home policies are in Galveston or Nueces counties, according to the association....