Furthermore, the county often has inadequate notice to add the new development into the 911 emergency system in order for the county to provide police, fire, and medical services. A special case exists among Texas counties located along the Rio Grande river bordering Mexico. These counties possess broad regulatory powers over rural land development that no other counties in Texas possess. These broad regulatory powers have been vested in these counties in order to curb the development of colonias , substandard housing developments that sprung up along the border as recent economic opportunities arrived in that region. An increase in such substandard housing diminishes the quality of life for children and families in these Texas communities.
Community is central to the Christian life.
Therefore, that which is detrimental to the community is also hazardous to the moral and spiritual lives of those in the community, not to mention the possibility of public health hazards. The Texas Legislature is considering legislation to address the problems created by the 1995 court decision between Travis County and the Elgin bank. Such legislation must be comprehensive in order to effectively address these problems. Counties must have adequate information about new developments in order to effectively meet the basic needs of citizens moving into such developments. The Christian Life Commission strongly supports legislation in the 1999 legislative session to help foster responsible rural land development.