City of Pearland
The City of Pearland is organized as a Council-Manager form of government. All powers of the city are vested in the City Council.
The City Manager, City Attorney, and Municipal Court Judge are under the direction of the Mayor and City Council. Under Council/Manager form of government, the City Manager oversees City staff.
City Council Responsibilities
The Mayor & City Council
The Mayor and Council provide community leadership, develop policies to guide the City in delivering services and achieving community goals and encourage citizen awareness and involvement. Elected members of the City Council serve part-time as part of their commitment to the community and serving Pearland.
The Mayor is the presiding officer of the City Council and is recognized as the head of city government for all ceremonial purposes and for purposes of military law. The Mayor is allowed to vote in case of a tie.
Council Meetings
Unless otherwise rescheduled, the City Council meets on the second and fourth Mondays of each month at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall and the agendas are posted to the city website 72 hours prior to meetings.
County
The City of Pearland is an incorporated city that lies within three counties in the Houston MSA—Brazoria, Harris and Fort Bend. The vast majority of the city lies within Brazoria County.
Brazoria County
Brazoria County has a population estimate of over 374,000 people, covers over 1,407 square miles and has its county seat in the City of Angleton. The county is governed by a County Judge and Commission with four commissioners elected within the precincts.
Municipal Utility Districts
A Municipal Utility District (MUD) is a political subdivision of the State of Texas, authorized by the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to provide water, sewage, drainage and other services within the MUD boundaries.
A MUD may adopt and enforce all necessary charges, fees and taxes in order to provide district facilities and service. MUD tax rates, like all property tax rates, vary according to property values and debt requirements. MUD rates generally decline over time as the MUD is built out and as operating and debt service costs are shared by more homeowners. Pearland has multiple MUD districts inside the city limits and in the extraterritorial jurisdiction surrounding the city.