Best Run Cities

Houston is one of the best-run cities in the nation, according to latest survey

Houston ranks No. 5 on the latest WalletHub list of best run U.S. cities.

People complain a lot about government, but several Texas cities get high marks for being run well. WalletHub's annual assessment of how efficiently some of America’s largest urban centers spend taxpayer dollars on certain key expenditure categories is out and Houston is near the top of the list.

Of the 78 most populated U.S. cities in the survey, Houston comes in at No. 5, up four notches from a year ago. Six Texas cities are in the Top 20, including Dallas (No. 7), El Paso (No. 14), Austin (No. 16), San Antonio (No. 19), and Lubbock (No. 20).

As WalletHub acknowledges, the rankings were determined by the return on investment (ROI) cities received in only three key categories: education, police, and parks and recreation.

Not included were how well cities spent money on public transportation, infrastructure, and health because researchers were not able to find sufficient comparative data. However, researchers believe efficient spending in the key areas examined in the survey is a "strong indicator" that there is a high level of efficiency in other expenditure categories.

Houston ranks No. 1 in parks and recreation for the second year in a row, No. 21 in education and No. 24 in law enforcement, based on data collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, Trust for Public Land and WalletHub research. Houston fell in education (from No. 16 last year) but showed a marked improvement in the law enforcement category (from No. 55 last year).

Overall rankings for other Texas cities in the survey: Fort Worth (No. 33), Garland (No. 34), Corpus Christi (No. 36) and Arlington (No. 40).

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no more trips to Colorado

Bill to legalize marijuana in Texas filed by Dallas Democrat

Photo courtesy of Texas Original

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Texas Rep. Jessica González (D-Dallas) has filed a bill to legalize recreational marijuana in Texas. House Bill 1208 would legalize the cultivation, manufacturing, transportation, and sale of cannabis.

The bill would allow adults 21 and older to use, possess, and transport up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana for personal use. Adults could also keep up to 10 ounces of cannabis in their residence, as long as it is stored in a secure location.

Smoking or consuming cannabis while in a public place or in a car on a public road would not be allowed.

Gonzalez filed the bill in mid-November, one in a suite of bills that also included expanding insurance coverage for in vitro fertilization for LGBTQ couples; and requiring landlords to disclose all fees before a rental lease is signed.

Her bill was filed prior to an initiative launched by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on December 4 to ban THC products in Texas entirely.

In addition to legalizing recreational use, the bill also makes provisions for its production and sale including requiring that the packaging be child-resistent and clearly labeled, so that it's not confused for candy.

Businesses looking to grow, transport, test, or sell cannabis would need to be licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. A 10 percent tax would be imposed on the sale of all cannabis and cannabis products. Some of the profits would go towards funding public schools.

If passed, the bill would take effect on September 1, 2025.

Medical cannabis is currently legal in Texas under the Texas Compassionate Use Program, which allows low-THC cannabis to be prescribed for conditions such as epilepsy, MS, autism, cancer, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Some cities have also approved decriminalization for the possession of four ounces or less of marijuana, including Austin, Bastrop, Dallas, Denton, Elgin, Killeen, and Lockhart.

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