DeSoto pushes housing oversight, infrastructure funding

DeSoto — The DeSoto City Council unanimously approved an expanded legislative agenda during a special meeting on Sept. 25, backing greater local control over housing and development, additional transportation and public safety funding, and legislation limiting institutional investors’ acquisition of single-family homes.

The resolution establishes DeSoto’s priorities for the 90th session of the Texas Legislature. Although the final amended resolution passed unanimously, there were divided tallies on several individual positions, including broadband policy and recognition of public works professionals as first responders.

The action sets the city’s advocacy positions; it does not enact the proposed requirements. Mayor Rachel L. Proctor emphasized that supporting an idea does not guarantee it will become state law. 

“Just because we’re here tonight to say we would support requiring group homes to have these requirements doesn’t mean that will ever become law,” Proctor said. 

Public works recognition 

One of the meeting’s most contested questions was whether to retain support for legislation recognizing public works professionals as first responders. The position was in the draft agenda developed from the council’s summer retreat.

Councilmember Debrah North recommended removing it temporarily. She reported that the Texas Municipal League had referred the issue for further discussion because of concerns about the wording “first responders,” and said she would bring additional information back to the council. 

Councilmember Rachel Proctor argued that DeSoto could retain its own position regardless of the league’s recommendations.

The council initially voted 4-3 support for keeping the position. Later, Councilmember Debrah North who had opposed the motion asked to change her vote, acknowledging that public works professionals can be among the first people at an incident scene. The revised tally was 5-2. 

Housing and backup power 

The council unanimously supported a position favoring legislation to limit or regulate institutional investors’ acquisition of single-family homes. 

Council members also supported, 6-1, proposals requiring council consent for housing finance corporations, housing authorities and public facility corporations to operate within the city and requiring local governing-body approval before those entities remove property from the tax rolls. 

Backup power for vulnerable residents received substantial discussion. The proposal called for generators at nursing homes, assisted living facilities, licensed group homes and apartments advertised to seniors as independent living facilities. Staff also described a requirement for nursing homes and assisted living facilities to have generators or a comparable power source, with fuel sufficient for at least 72 hours during an outage. 

Fire Chief Bryan Southard described difficulties assisting residents dependent on medical equipment during Winter Storm Uri, including people who needed oxygen after losing power. Proctor urged the council to support the backup-power proposal. The council voted 6-1 for the item. 

Funding proposals 

Council members reviewed additional priorities drawn from Texas Municipal League policy summit materials that North brought to the discussion. 

The council voted on the following items:

The council also retained support, 6-1, for treating Community Development Block Grant activities as a governmental function. 

City authority

Members unanimously supported retaining opposition to legislation imposing further revenue or expenditure caps, new property tax exemptions such as Operation Double Nickel, standardized permitting, and state preemption of municipal authority. They also retained opposition to measures stripping local authority over data center zoning, accessory dwelling units permitted by right and other land-use matters.

The council unanimously opposed legislation that erodes cities’ ability to issue debt. 

Members also agreed to add opposition to legislation limiting municipal incentives or negatively expanding appraisal caps. The appraisal-cap language included a “no position” exception for legislation allowing a council-option reduction in the current 10% cap on annual appraisal growth. 

Separately, council members unanimously supported retaining the draft agenda’s “no position” category for legislation relating to general obligation bonds and certificates of obligation. 

Final approval 

Councilmember Pierette Parker questioned whether members had sufficient time to review the additional summit proposals.

“It feels a little rushed to me,” Parker said, explaining that she wanted to understand the items before agreeing to support them. 

Councilmember Crystal Chism moved to approve the resolution with the changes, and Parker seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. That final vote approved the amended agenda as a whole.

This article was created with artificial intelligence using public meeting materials and edited by staff.