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City of Denton outlines 2025 legislative priorities; staff tracking bills on water, land use, libraries and DME
Summary
Christie Fogel, chief of staff for the City of Denton, briefed council and trustees on the city's legislative priorities, emphasizing coordination with UNT and DCTA, bills on ethical sourcing for pet stores, library material restrictions, land‑use rules and water funding; staff are tracking several bills and committee actions through the session.
Christie Fogel, chief of staff for the City of Denton, presented the city’s 2025 legislative priorities at a joint meeting on April 1 and summarized which items have seen movement in the Texas Legislature.
Fogel said the city developed its agenda in cooperation with local partners including the University of North Texas and Denton County Transportation Authority and that the city is tracking roughly 500 bills with about 60–70 tied to city priorities. "We are on day 78 of the legislative session," she said, adding that the city’s tracking list continues to grow and that staff will follow up by email on technical questions.
She highlighted several priority areas. On community issues, the city supports protecting local autonomy to make governance decisions and has expressly opposed restrictions on cities’ use of contracts with registered lobbyists. On city services, Fogel said Representative Patterson has filed a bill concerning ethical sourcing of pets in retail pet stores — a measure the city’s animal services views as beneficial for placing animals more quickly.
Land use and development, she said, is one of the session’s hottest topics; the city is watching bills concerning lot sizing, parking requirements, accessory dwelling units and extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) authority. On municipal courts, the city supports expanded translation services for court use. Financially, Fogel noted Senate committee movement on a bill to raise the competitive bidding threshold from $50,000 to $100,000 would give cities more flexibility in procurement.
Fogel also identified water funding and Denton Municipal Electric (DME) priorities. She said the governor, lieutenant governor and speaker have made water a session priority and that Senator Charles Perry, chair of the Senate Water and Agriculture Committee, is advancing related measures. The city continues to track bills affecting DME and related Railroad Commission rules and expects more committee work in the coming weeks.
Fogel reminded officials of key legislative calendar dates: the session’s last day is June 2, the governor has until June 22 to sign or veto bills, and most new laws tracked by the city would take effect September 1 unless otherwise specified.
Why it matters: City staff said several bills could change local regulatory authority, procurement rules and funding options for infrastructure, transit and water projects. The city asked council members and trustees to note the calendar and to expect follow-up communications from staff as proposals advance.
