✅Relating to the authority of a Type A or Type B general-law municipality to change to a Type C general-law municipality.

HB 303

✅ HB 303: Letting small Texas towns simplify city government

What it says it does:
HB 303 allows very small general-law cities in Texas to switch to a simpler Type C structure. It removes an old rule that blocked towns with fewer than 501 residents from reclassifying.

What it actually changes:
The bill amends Local Government Code § 8.021 to drop the 501-person minimum for Type A and Type B cities that want to become Type C. That means any small town, even one with just a few dozen residents, can hold a local vote to make the change.

Who is pushing for it:
Rep. Cody Vasut authored the bill, with support from the Texas Municipal League, which spoke in favor of it during committee hearings.

Who benefits:
Tiny towns that struggle to fill required officer positions can move to a simpler system with only a mayor and two commissioners, cutting administrative strain and election costs.

Who gets left out or exposed:
No opposition or negative impact is listed in the project files. Larger municipalities and cities under home-rule charters are unaffected.

Why this matters long term:
It gives local voters more flexibility to match their government structure to their actual population size. It can help preserve small towns that might otherwise dissolve for lack of officials.

What to watch next:
If more small towns start reclassifying, lawmakers may revisit population caps or oversight rules to keep consistency in local accountability standards.

Bottom line:
A clean, local-control measure that updates outdated population thresholds and helps very small communities keep functioning without extra red tape.

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