Texas towns operate under 2 different types of local government, General Law and Home Rule.
General Law
General Law is a town whose powers are limited by the specific authority granted by Texas statutes. They are restricted to doing what state statutes direct or permit them to do. A specific grant of authority or permission must be provided for in the statutes to initiate a particular action or it may not be taken. General Law towns are generally smaller and most often under 5,000 in population.
Home Rule
Home Rule is towns with a population over 5,000 in which the citizens have adopted a home rule charter to define the structure, power, duties, and authority of their local government. The legal position of Home Rule towns is the reverse of general Law towns. Rather than looking to state statutes to determine what they may do, Home Rule towns look to their local Charters to determine what they may do. Thus, a Home Rule town may take any action that is not prohibited by the Texas Constitution or statutes as long as the authority is granted in the Charter of the town. Home Rule towns have the full power of self-government and may take any action in the interest of the citizens’ health, safety, and welfare which is not contrary to the Texas and U.S. Constitutions or federal or state laws.