About Texas Local Weekly
It started in Farmersville.
We got tired of complicated agendas. So we started reading them and telling our neighbors what they said.
The frustration
Agendas were hard to follow.
Property taxes, school budgets, traffic, and development were all being decided in public. But city council meetings run for hours, and agenda packets are hundreds of pages.
The idea
Read it so you don’t have to.
We read the agendas, follow the meetings, and publish a short plain-English summary of what was discussed and decided. One newsletter, every week.
The reason
We love where we live.
Most people have jobs and families. You shouldn’t have to attend every meeting or read every document to know what is happening in your own town.
Today
From one city to 10.
The same idea now runs across North Texas, with an issue for each city every week. Find yours.
How we gather information
Everything we publish is based on public sources.
Monitor official sources
We track city websites, school district portals, and public databases for agendas, notices, and newly posted documents before each meeting cycle.
Review the documents
Agenda packets, staff reports, budget documents, development proposals, and meeting minutes are read and summarized before publication.
Verify before publishing
Facts are checked against source material. We do not publish claims we cannot trace to a public record or official statement.
Write in plain language
Government documents use technical terms and legal jargon. We translate them into clear, readable summaries anyone can follow.
Our standards
Neutral reporting
We report what happened and what was decided. We do not advocate for positions or tell readers how to think about issues.
Plain language
No jargon. No bureaucratic phrasing. If a technical term is necessary, we explain it.
Sourced
Every story is based on public records. We cite sources and link to original documents when available online.
Reader supported
Every story opens free: the headline, the summary, and the first paragraphs. A city membership unlocks every story in full and the complete archive. The weekly email is always free.
Who we cover
North Texas local government: city councils, school boards, planning commissions, and county agencies.
We focus on the governing bodies that make routine decisions affecting daily life: zoning approvals, budget adoptions, infrastructure projects, school policy, and public contracts. State and national politics are out of scope.
Contact
General inquiries, sponsorship opportunities, or story tips:
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