Bay Area Edition | November 2023

BY MELISSA ENAJE, RACHEL LELAND & JAKE MAGEE

As part of new regulations approved by League City, short-term rental owners in the city will now pay a $300 renewal fee and a hotel occupancy tax. The overview Following League City’s city auditor investiga- tion into the city’s short-term rental regulations, last set in 2019, League City City Council on Oct. 10 voted to change the city's policy for regis- tering short-term rentals and collecting taxes from them. Notable quote City ocials said they hoped the changes would make short-term rentals in the city easier to regulate. League City will be able to inform platforms such as Airbnb if the city revokes a permit on rentals that are not in compliance. “What [the auditor] proposed closely mirrors Short-term rentals required to pay new tax

Commissioners award $18.8M for child care Harris County commissioners have awarded ve organizations a combined $18.8 million in grants to improve child care quality over the next three years. The new initiative is called Early Learning Quality Networks and was fully funded through the allocation of American Rescue Plan Act funds. Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis said in a news release the ELQN initiative will ensure every child in Harris County has access to quality early education. “This program will focus on our high- est-need neighborhoods and bring families together with providers to collaborate on needed support for early childhood education,” Ellis said.

Short-term rental changes Major changes to League City’s short-term rental regulations include: Short-term rental operators, such as Vrbo and Airbnb, are required to collect and remit a hotel occupancy tax to the city and submit quarterly reports to League City. The application fee for short-term rental renewal has increased from $25 to $300. The annual renewal of short-term rentals will be required by Dec. 1, and all required inspections must be completed by Dec. 31. Listing or advertising a short-term rental will be illegal without a valid permit. Tax records must be maintained for three years.

SOURCE: CITY OF LEAGUE CITYCOMMUNITY IMPACT

what’s in Kemah and Galveston and gives us more uniformity with the people that are next to us,” Mayor Nick Long said.

Special League City City Council election to be held in January Voters will soon have the chance to decide who will ll a sudden vacancy on League City City Council. What’s happening? On Nov. 14, League City City Council approved a special election for Jan. 13 for Position 4 on council. The seat was held by John Bowen, who announced his resignation Oct. 31 and ocially resigned Nov. 10, accord- ing to agenda documents. A runo election will be held Feb. 17, if necessary. Eligible residents have until 5 p.m. Dec. 4 to le for candidacy at City Hall, 300 W. Walker St., League City. The details According to the state constitution, any council vacancy with an unexpired term of more than one year must be lled by a majority vote in a special election within 120

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LOBIT PARK

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League City acquires Lobit Park from county League City has ocially acquired Lobit Park from Galveston County. On Nov. 1, city and county representatives, including Mayor Nick Long, celebrated a ribbon cutting denoting the ocial transfer of the park’s management from the county to the city. As part of the transfer, new trees were planted in the park. Zooming in League City City Council in 2022 voted to acquire the park, and the transfer increases the city’s total parkland by 28 acres. City ocials have already made improvements to the park’s parking spaces, roads, drainage, seating and lighting, and more improvements are planned for the future.

John Bowen resigned from League City City Council on Nov. 10.

COURTESY CITY OF LEAGUE CITY

days of the vacancy. Bowen didn’t respond to a request for comment on why he resigned. Bowen was elected in December 2020.

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