Governing a Growing Region: Addressing Challenges of Service Provision and Development in Houston

Most MUDs are on firm financial footing and effectively help communities function. But, zooming out from individual communities and taking a regional view, major issues with the regional governance system appear on the horizon.

This report analyzes how government entities in the Greater Houston region are struggling to provide urban-level services to all residents, especially those in unincorporated, non-central suburban areas known as municipal utility districts. The current system of providing services is uneven.

The purpose of this report is to highlight how cities, counties and MUDs relate to one another and provide services, in order to identify issues associated with the current governance system and to provide possible alternatives where appropriate.