Republican Sen. Donna Campbell, who represents Canyon Lake in Texas Senate District 25, filed legislation Nov. 12 that would give counties tools they need to protect sensitive water resources through local land-use and building standards.
However under Senate Bill 339, introduced in the 90th Texas Legislature for 2027, those efforts would require a qualifying petition and countywide voter approval before county commissioners could exercise that authority.
“Texas can welcome responsible growth while respecting property rights and protecting the natural resources our communities depend on,” she said in a Facebook post Thursday. “Our children and grandchildren deserve to enjoy the same beautiful Hill Country we inherited.”
The legislation would allow counties to establish land-use regulations around aquifer recharge zones, floodplains, creeks and karst formations.
To read the bill click here.
Under Texas law, county commissioners have little say-so over how and where developers build subdivisions in Comal County.
Precinct 4 Comal County Commissioner Jen Crownover has long advocated for granting counties limited land-use authority.
In August, she attended the Texas Association of Counties’ Annual Legislative Conference where county judges and commissioners petitioned the state for more control over compatible development:
“County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas requests that the Texas Legislature grant limited local option authority to Texas counties to ensure more compatible development within the county to protect our landowners and public health and safety, and prevent overuse of natural resources, such as ground and surface water.”
After working on a resolution introduced at June 2024 meeting of the South Texas County Judges & Commissioners Association, Crownover said judges and commissioners “desperately need our state leaders to pursue this matter in a much more urgent and meaningful manner.
“…Without water, none of the rest of it will matter anyways, right?”