Bob Promises to Stop Development
In several forums and on social media, Bob has committed to stop development until infrastructure is ready. This is simply illegal.
Under Texas law, counties are not allowed to stop someone from building homes on their own private property just because traffic is already bad and the schools are near capacity. That authority simply does not exist at the county level. This is not Commissioner Riley’s policy choice, it’s state law.
Counties can regulate how subdivisions are designed for safety, but they cannot block homebuilding outright. That authority would have to come from the Texas Legislature.
The law that governs this is the Texas Local Government Code, Chapter 232, which limits counties to subdivision design and safety standards, not growth control. That’s the legal framework every county in Texas operates under.
What Commissioner Riley can do — and what he has done — is use the authority the county does have.
Under Local Government Code Chapter 232, counties are allowed to strengthen subdivision safety standards.
That’s why the county updated rules to require multiple exits in new neighborhoods, so families aren’t trapped and emergency responders can get in and out safely. That change came directly from resident concerns, and it is something the county has full legal authority to enforce.