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- MRT 3/9-10/26 (free): Corpus Christi Facing 'Dire' Water Issue // Exxon Re-Domiciles in TX // Dems Eye CD-23 // Audit: ATX's $279M Contracts Scrutinized
MRT 3/9-10/26 (free): Corpus Christi Facing 'Dire' Water Issue // Exxon Re-Domiciles in TX // Dems Eye CD-23 // Audit: ATX's $279M Contracts Scrutinized
Here's What You Need to Know in Texas Today.
Matt Mackowiak
March 10, 2026
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MONDAY 3/9/2026 - TUESDAY 3/10/2026
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TOP NEWS
“’Dire catastrophe’: Corpus Christi could be close to running out of water” San Antonio Express-News’ Dylan Baddour – The imminent depletion of water supplies in Corpus Christi threatens to cut off the flow of jet fuel to Texas airports and other oil exports from one of the nation’s largest petroleum ports, triggering potential shock waves through energy markets in Texas and beyond.
Without significant rainfall, Corpus Christi is headed for a “water emergency” within months and total depletion of the system next year, according to the city’s website.
“The impacts are going to be felt tremendously through the state, if not internationally,” said Sean Strawbridge, former CEO of the Port of Corpus Christi Authority, the nation’s top port for crude oil exports. “This should be no surprise to anybody. We were talking about this over a decade ago.”
Other current and former officials, alarmed at what they call a lack of preparations, have suggested the potential for an economic crisis involving mass layoffs, disruption of fuel supplies and billions of dollars in emergency spending to avoid an evacuation of the city.
Strawbridge, who now lives in Houston, laid the blame on city leaders, citing “their lack of experience, their lack of knowledge, their lack of recognizing the risks” in a decade-long endeavor to build a large seawater desalination plant that would steer the region away from calamity.
“They’ve found themselves in quite a dire predicament as a result of those poor decisions,” Strawbridge said. “Time is up.”
A spokesperson for Corpus Christi Mayor Paulette Guajardo declined interview requests, citing “prior commitments,” and did not respond to follow-up questions. City manager Peter Zanoni also did not respond to questions. Instead, Corpus Christi public information manager Robert Gonzales provided an emailed statement.
“The water shortage in the Coastal Bend is the result of a historic five-year drought,” it said. “Currently, the City of Corpus Christi has $1 billion in City Council-approved and funded water projects underway to address our water needs. The City remains committed to ensuring water security for the more than 500,000 residents and our commercial and industrial customers.”
Gonzales called predictions of an imminent water emergency “an incomplete and alarmist narrative.”
Depletion of the region’s reservoirs would lead to “controlled depression” for the local economy, “mass unemployment” and “industrial total shutdown,” according to a two-page report by Don Roach, former assistant general manager of the San Patricio Municipal Water District, which supplies many of the region’s large industrial water users.
That includes refineries operated by Flint Hills Resources, Valero and Citgo that provide jet fuel to Texas airports and meet much of the state’s daily demand for gasoline.
“This waiting disaster is under the radar for the rest of the state,” said Roach, who worked 20 years at the water district and retired in 2014. “We hear nothing from the Texas politicians about the seriousness of the situation or any state plan to mitigate it.”
He no longer had access to current water data and contracts, he stressed. He produced the report based on his own knowledge. It said the costs of trucking in emergency water “would bankrupt many local small businesses and low-income households” while state emergency managers would need billions of dollars to “build emergency temporary pipelines or subsidize desalination barge rentals to prevent a total evacuation of the city.”
Strawbridge, a former director of the Port of Long Beach, said Roach’s assessment was “spot on.”
(SAEN)
“Exxon Mobil Plans to Move Its Legal Home to Texas From New Jersey” Wall Street Journal’s Lauren Thomas – Exxon Mobil, which has been incorporated in New Jersey since 1882, plans to ask its shareholders to vote on a proposal to redomicile in Texas. If successful, Exxon will follow Tesla, Coinbase Global COIN -1.64%decrease; red down pointing triangle and others that have reincorporated in Texas.
Exxon Chief Executive Darren Woods told The Wall Street Journal in an interview that the move is about protecting the company from shareholder “abuse,” a reference to what companies see as a proliferation of frivolous shareholder lawsuits in certain venues.
“Texas is already our operating home, and we think it makes sense to make it our legal home,” Woods said. Exxon, which has a market value north of $630 billion, relocated its headquarters to Texas from New York City in 1989.
Exxon hasn’t had any issues with New Jersey, Woods said, but believes Texas better understands the oil-and-gas industry and is more invested in its success. Woods said the more companies domiciled in Texas, and across different industries, the better.
Texas has been a beneficiary as more executives voice frustrations with traditional corporate havens such as Delaware and New Jersey. Most large public companies remain incorporated in Delaware, which has specialized courts that handle business matters and ample legal precedents.
Texas is also seeking to attract more stock listings, with the planned launch of the Texas Stock Exchange, which aims to take on the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq.
Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO, decided in 2024 to reincorporate Tesla in Texas, upset about a court ruling against his multibillion-dollar 2018 pay package. He also moved the legal home of his rocket company SpaceX to Texas, and that of his brain-implant company, Neuralink, to Nevada.
Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase said late last year that it would leave Delaware for Texas, and Facebook parent Meta Platforms has been considering leaving Delaware for Texas or another state. Exxon rival Chevron moved its headquarters from San Ramon, Calif., to Houston at the start of last year, though it remains incorporated in Delaware.
Texas established the Texas Business Court in 2024 to create its own venue for business and commercial disputes. Last year, it passed laws that make it more difficult to sue board members at companies incorporated in Texas and make it more challenging for shareholders to file stockholder proposals against companies.
Woods also said that although the legislation allows companies to set higher thresholds for shareholder-proposal submissions, Exxon isn’t planning to take advantage of that.
“We are big supporters of shareholder rights,” he said.
Exxon says roughly 30% of its employees globally are based in Texas, and all of its U.S. research facilities are located in the state.
(WSJ)
“Developer wants to build $800M Dallas hotel tower at old DMN campus downtown” via Dallas Morning News – Developer and real estate investor Ray Washburne said he plans to build an $800 million, 30-story hotel on land he owns at the old Dallas Morning News campus in downtown Dallas.
The 1,000-room hotel would anchor an entertainment district he’s long planned since purchasing the campus at 508 Young St. in 2019. The planned hotel tower would rise behind the property’s historic Rock of Truth monument.
Washburne first told The Dallas Morning News in January that he increased the room count from his initially planned 250 keys after speaking with hotel chains about their needs. D Magazine reported on additional details surrounding the planned project.
“The city keeps saying they need about 5,000 rooms. I’m willing to do it,” he said.
(DMN)
“Power outage affects more than 23,000 people in Rowlett before power was restored, officials say” via WFAA – Over 23,000 people in and around Rockwall and Dallas County were without power on Sunday morning, the city of Rowlett said.
The Oncor outage map shows that many customers in Garland, Rowlett and Fate lost power on Sunday morning. The number of customers without power started to decrease around 11 a.m.
About 10,000 people in Dallas County lost power, and over 2,500 people in Rockwall County lost power, according to the Oncor map. Rowlett said the number of people affected is much higher, about 23,279 Oncor customers.
In a social media post, the city of Rowlett said the outage was caused by an issue with a main transmission line. It’s not clear when power will be restored, the city said.
An Oncor spokesperson said the company does not have an ETA on when everyone’s power will be restored, but power was mostly back on around noon.
They said the outage is due to an equipment issue on the transmission level, which e...
(WFAA)
2026
“Texas Democrats Goodwin, Vélez hope to keep voters engaged ahead of lieutenant governor runoff” Houston Public Media’s – State Rep. Vikki Goodwin and labor organizer Marcos Vélez, the Democratic candidates vying to challenge incumbent Republican Lt. Gov Dan Patrick, certainly hope so. The pair face off in a May 26 runoff to decide who will be the party’s nominee for lieutenant governor this November.
After busting through turnout expectations for the party primaries, can Texas Democrats keep up that momentum for May’s runoff elections? Beyond that, will voters turn that attention and enthusiasm to races they hadn’t been following before?
(Houston Public Media)
“Democrats turn to Katy Padilla Stout for wild race in Texas’ 23rd Congressional District” San Antonio Report’s Andrea Drusch – When rumors of U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales’ affair first started circulating last fall, Democrats sought out a candidate they hoped could help put a long-shot district in play.
This week their dream scenario came true, when a wounded Gonzales finished second to 30-year-old YouTube creator Brandon Herrera in the GOP primary, and later dropped his reelection bid at the urging of Republican leaders in D.C.
The massive 23rd Congressional District hasn’t been competitive for Democrats since it was redrawn after the 2020 census.
Under its new boundaries, it would have supported President Donald Trump by roughly 14.8% in 2024, according to a Texas Tribune analysis.
Yet Texas Democratic Party Chair Kendall Scudder was once again pointing to it as a “real opportunity” after the party flipped a deep-red Texas Senate seat that swung 31 points in a Jan. 30 special election — and even some Republicans believe Gonzales’ moderate politics have been key to keeping the district red.
(SA REPORT)
“Hardline House Freedom Caucus gains ground in Texas GOP primaries” The Texas Tribune’s Gabby Birenbaum – The hardline House Freedom Caucus is poised to swell its ranks among Texas members after a successful primary season in which two challengers backed by the group’s political arm won their primaries and a third candidate nearly won outright in a nine-way open race.
Tuesday was an ascendant night for the conservative group — often a thorn in the side of House GOP leadership — and its imprint on Texas’ congressional delegation. The Freedom Caucus could end up doubling the number of Texans on its roster come next Congress, pushing the state’s delegation further to the right and adding reinforcements who appear willing to follow the group’s obstructionist playbook.
Known for its conservative absolutist approach and willingness to defy GOP leaders, the Freedom Caucus encompasses the most right-wing members of the House, typically those who are the loudest advocates for cutting spending and restricting immigration.
(TX TRIB)
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
“Austin audit: $279M spent on consultant contracts with unclear results” KXAN’s Julianna Russ – This month, the city of Austin released an audit report reviewing its management of consultant contracts.
According to the report, Austin has spent more than $279 million on consulting services between fiscal years 2023 and 2025. The consultants usually provide services that the city’s departments “do not have the capacity or expertise” to provide.
The audit found the city might not be able to demonstrate whether the consultant services were justified or efficiently helped meet objectives.
“Staff did not conduct or document a needs assessment before hiring the consultant in almost 40% of contracts,” the audit said. “For about 82% of the contracts, the hiring department did not appear to assess or document their in-house capabilities to determine whether the same work could be done by City staff instead of by consultants.”
The report also found that the city’s departments did not consistently evaluate consultant performance.
“About 71% of the contracts were closed without performing a formal evaluation of the contractor’s performance,” the audit said. “This could result in rehiring consultants with performance issues and may discourage consultants from providing the City with their highest quality work.”
According to the report, 16% of contract deliverables were not measurable or specific.
“Without clear deliverables, consultants may be able to satisfy the terms of their contract without meeting the City’s needs,” the report said.
The audit recommended that the city provide guidance for conducting needs assessments and ensure departments keep all contract-related records and perform consultant performance evaluations.
The full audit report can be found here.
(KXAN)
“Dallas quietly lined up City Hall site tours for select council members” Dallas News’s None – Dallas officials arranged tours of up to four potential City Hall sites for a handful of City Council members earlier this year, even though the locations were not disclosed to the broader council and public.
Internal emails reviewed by The Dallas Morning News show city leaders and consultants began discussing in December how and when to invite “a few” council members for the visits.
The News previously reported that the Dallas Economic Development Corp. planned to conduct tours between January and March. The emails provide a clearer look at behind-the-scenes planning as Dallas weighs City Hall’s fate.
Developer Shawn Todd, who has called for demolishing City Hall for redevelopment, was listed as an adviser for the city-affiliated group, which evaluated the building’s condition and estimated repair costs.
(DMN)
“City delays decision on zoning request for $10 billion Fort Worth data center” via Fort Worth Star-Telegram – A pair of requests to rezone roughly 80 acres for a $10 billion data center planned for southeast Fort Worth will be postponed again as the Fort Worth City Council seeks answers about the project.
Black Mountain, a Fort Worth-based energy consortium, has successfully petitioned the Fort Worth City Council to approve the rezoning of roughly 431 acres of land in the southeast corner of the city near Forest Hill and Everman to build an AI data center.
The developers hit a speed bump when a pair of zoning requests was continued by the City Council at its meeting in January so council members could receive a briefing on data centers.
The zoning requests are for 42 and 38 acres, the former on the east side of Anglin Drive near the Forest Hill city line, and the latter east of Anglin Drive and north of Everman Kennedale Road.
(FWST)
“NEISD prioritizes safety and sunshade in Bond 2025 plan” San Antonio Report’s Xochilt Garcia – After voters approved the larger part of a half-a-billion-dollar bond package last year, North East Independent School District is taking big steps in delivering on more than 70 proposed school improvement projects.
Last week, the NEISD school board approved a five-year implementation plan of its 2025 bond with a long list of architectural and engineering firms hired to work on projects that would enhance safety and security, technology, infrastructure and athletic facilities.
NEISD’s master project list prioritizes chiller replacements, sunshade structures and safety technology upgrades at several campuses. Projects with the least priority include things like new vehicle purchases, indoor and outdoor lighting replacements and roof maintenance.
Deb Caldwell, chief operations officer at NEISD, said projects were prioritized based on “safety, urgency, code compliance going down toward cost, procurement, feasibility and schedule efficiency.”
Of the $483 million, $457.9 million will go toward actual construction costs.
(SA REPORT)
“Will horse-less carriage rides come to downtown San Antonio?” San Antonio Report’s Shari Biediger – With horse-drawn carriages ordered off the streets of San Antonio by 2030, city council members are considering a plan that would allow a new kind of carriage ride.
Since the ordinance phasing out carriages was passed in 2024, at least two of the city’s three carriage owners have asked to introduce horseless, electric vehicle (EV) carriages.
Now a pilot program is taking shape, one that could keep the carriage companies in business while also opening up the market for newcomers to the business.
In December 2024, San Antonio City Council approved a plan to phase out horse-drawn carriages from city streets. The ban affected three owners of five companies that hold 25 horse carriage permits from the city.
The first phase took effect immediately and no new carriage permits were allowed to be issued and Animal Control Services no longer licensed new horses. Then, hours of operation were reduced by 20%.
(SA REPORT)
BUSINESS NEWS
“Texas businesses could wait years for tariff reimbursements — if they come at all — despite court rulings” Houston Public Media’s Andrew Schneider – The Trump administration has yet to signal when — or whether — it intends to repay tariffs implemented by executive order just over a year ago. Many businesses may wait years for reimbursement.
The U.S. Court of International Trade ruled last Wednesday that the administration must refund the tariffs, which it had been collecting under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 (IEEPA), starting in February of last year. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last month that use of IEEPA was illegal.
Weston O’Black, a partner with the Houston office of the law firm Susman Godfrey, which is representing companies seeking refunds, said administration of President Donald Trump may challenge the international trade court’s ability to order nationwide tariff refunds.
(Houston Public Media)
“Questions about self-driving cars amplify after one blocked an ambulance responding to Austin shooting” The Texas Tribune’s Joshua Fechter – A viral image from the March 1 shooting in downtown Austin — an autonomous vehicle blocking an ambulance from reaching the scene where a gunman fatally wounded three people and injured 15 others — has put a spotlight on driverless cars as they hit the streets in more major Texas cities.
A video widely circulated on social media shows a Waymo vehicle blocking the street as paramedics try to reach the scene of the shooting at Buford’s, in the city’s nightlife district on West 6th Street, forcing the ambulance driver to seek another route.
“This is why we should not have self-driving cars,” an onlooker says in the video.
The encounter didn’t significantly hinder the city’s ability to respond to the shooting, local emergency officials have said, and an Austin police officer was able to move the vehicle within two minutes of arriving at the scene, the video shows.
(TX TRIB)
EXTRA POINTS
Recent Texas sports scores:
Mon
> NCAAM: Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 74, New Orleans 61
> NCAAM: UT-RGV 86, Nicholls 68
Tues
> NBA: Atlanta 124, Dallas 112
> NBA: Houston 113, Toronto 99
> NBA: San Antonio 125, Boston 116
> NHL: Dallas 2, Las Vegas 1
> NCAAM: Arizona St. 83, Baylor 79
> NCAAM: SMU 86, Syracuse 69
> NCAAM: Stephen F. Austin 60, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 58
> NCAAM: Prairie View A&M 65, Alcorn St. 56
> NCAAM: McNeese vs. UT-RGV — TBD
Wednesday’s Texas sports schedule:
> 1pm: NCAAM: Prairie View A&M vs. Bethune-Cookman (ESPN+)
> 1:30pm: NCAAM: SMU vs. #24 Louisville (ESPN)
> 4pm: NCAAM: Stephen F. Austin vs. UT-RGV / McNeese winner (ESPN2)
> 6pm: NCAAM: Texas vs. Ole Miss (SEC Network)
> 7:30pm: NCAAM: Tarleton St. vs. Abilene Christian (ESPN+)
> 8pm: NCAAM: Sam Houston St. vs. Jacksonville St. New Mexico St. winner (ESPN+)
> 8:30pm: NCAAM: TCU vs. Colorado / Oklahoma St. winner (ESPN)
> 9pm: NBA: Houston at Denver (ESPN)
TEXAS SPORTS HEADLINES / LINKS
TEXAS RANGERS: “Rangers place Jordan Montgomery on 60-day IL, claim OF Dairon Blanco from Kansas City” DMN
TEXAS RANGERS: “3 Texas Rangers observations: Bullpen competition heats up; Evan Carter’s grand Sunday” DMN
DALLAS COWBOYS: “Dallas Cowboys agree to terms with free agent safety Jalen Thompson” DMN
DALLAS COWBOYS: “Rashan Gary trade shows Cowboys are still chasing Micah Parsons’ replacement” DMN
TEXAS BASEBALL: “Texas off to its fastest start since 2005 championship season” AP