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....
The Galveston
Government
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....
Dickinson eliminates assistant city manager position
Council voted 4-3 to eliminate Assistant City Manager Matt Maggiolino’s position, with Mayor Travis Magliolo and councilmen Kevin Edmonds and Shaun Holt in opposition. The decision was part of an ongoing budget process that began July 14 with a projected…...
Galveston Park Board touts AI parking as Stewart, East beach revenue increases 23%
Vince Lorefice, executive director of coastal operations, told board trustees that July parking revenue at Stewart Beach increased 32.2% to $188,715, while East Beach revenue grew 14.2% to $157,740. Season pass sales also grew nearly 27%, to 237 from 187…...
Galveston's Park Board goes retro with new vintage car
Board staff bought a vintage 1923 Dodge Brothers Roadster off Facebook Marketplace on Aug. 6, refurbished it and had it decorated by artist Jessica Antonelli, with hopes of using the vehicle to promote the city at events and celebrations....
La Marque City Council debates tax rates
City council members wrestled with whether to propose the city's no-new-revenue tax rate of $0.398957 per $100 of taxable value or leave themselves room to consider a higher rate as budget negotiations continue....
Port adds $28,000 to maritime education endowments
The Wharves Board contributed $18,000 to its endowment at Texas A&M University at Galveston and another $10,000 to its endowment at Galveston College, port officials announced Tuesday....
Hitchcock's first city manager resigns amidst city growth, development and legal battles
Marie Gelles, who’s led the city since 2019, submitted her resignation Monday and expressed gratitude for what the city accomplished during her tenure. Gelles plans to work with the City Council on the transition, although she hasn’t given a departure…...
Galveston moves to rewrite food truck rules, add 500-foot school buffer ban
Commissioners voted unanimously to recommend the changes to City Council and added an amendment requiring food trucks to remain at least 500 feet from pre-K through 12th-grade schools from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on regular school days. City Council…...
Planning Commission backs denser development on Galveston's West End
Commissioners voted 5-1 to recommend an amended planned unit development for Royal Crown Enterprise LLC’s Sachs on the Seawall. The project now calls for 500 residential units, a nearly 290-room hotel and 80,000 square feet of commercial space at 10302…...
Harris County budget shortfall — what it means for county services, your wallet
Harris County is staring down a $178 million budget shortfall — and if commissioners approve a proposed tax increase, homeowners could feel it in their wallets. The county is considering a tax rate that would increase the property tax bill on a median-valued homestead by about $9...
One less stop: PortPass ends at Galveston cruise terminals
The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission discontinued its PortPass program at the Port of Galveston on Aug. 11, ending the collection of state taxes from cruise passengers bringing alcohol and cigarettes back through the port....
Galveston County employees’ accrued time off is safe, for now
County Judge Mark Henry and the four county commissioners voted Monday to defer a proposal to revise the county’s time-off policy. Commissioner Hank Dugie proposed the changes to unify the county’s time-off rules and save taxpayer money....
Scottie Scheffler leads St. Jude Championship: Round 3 tee times, leaderboard
Scottie Scheffler enters the weekend with a firm grip on the FedEx St. Jude Championship after delivering one of the best rounds of the PGA Tour season....
Andrew Guiliani targets FIFA prez Gianni Infantino's critics: 'It's politics'
Andrew Giuliani, the son of former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani and executive director of the White House Task Force for the recently completed World Cup, voiced his support for embattled FIFA...