City Attorney

City of Midland, Texas

The Midland City Council has engaged Mackenzie Eason & Associates to identify an accomplished municipal law strategist and consensus?builder to serve as Midland’s next City Attorney. The role becomes available as the City prepares for a decade of population growth, record?setting economic expansion in the Permian Basin, and transformative investments—from new Tax Increment Reinvestment Zones along SH 191 and Loop 250 to multimillion?dollar upgrades of parks and critical water infrastructure. Midland needs a legal advisor who can keep pace with opportunity, safeguard the public trust, and translate complex statutes into clear, actionable pathways to “yes.”

Home to 142,000 residents and growing 1.3 percent annually, Midland ranks among America’s youngest and fastest?expanding cities. A median age of 31 and a regional labor force of 105,000 power the fifth?largest metro economy in Texas. City leadership has laid out a 2024?2029 Strategic Plan that prioritizes safe neighborhoods, vibrant quality of life, and smart infrastructure—goals that hinge on legally sound policy, proactive risk management, and innovative public?private partnerships.

City of Midland Mission

Our city thrives on the dedication and vision of our leaders, who work tirelessly to ensure Midland is a vibrant, safe, and prosperous community. Our mission is to enhance the quality of life for all residents by providing exceptional services and fostering a strong, inclusive community. Here, you can learn more about our leadership team, their roles, and their commitments to serving the people of Midland.

The Opportunity

Reporting directly to the Mayor, City Council, and City Manager, the City Attorney serves as Midland’s chief legal counsel, prosecutor, and risk?management strategist. The Attorney leads a tight?knit office of nine direct reports—including a Deputy City Attorney, First Assistant, Senior Assistant, three Assistant City Attorneys (two of whom also serve as Municipal Court prosecutors), an Office Manager, Legal Secretary, and Texas Public Information Act Coordinator. Together, the team provides full?service civil and criminal representation, drafts and negotiates contracts, manages outside counsel, prosecutes Class C misdemeanors, and stewards open?government compliance.

The City Attorney is both trusted advisor and catalyst. You will brief the Council at the dais, negotiate economic?development agreements, secure water?rights for a thirsty West Texas city, and fortify ordinances so that permitting, code enforcement, and public?safety initiatives withstand scrutiny. Equally important, you will modernize internal processes so that nothing “gets stuck in Legal” again.

Why This Role Is Compelling

Midland’s Legal Department is already respected for responsive service, but the next Attorney steps into a moment of outsized influence. You will guide two newly created Tax Increment Reinvestment Zones that unlock retail, housing, and infrastructure along SH 191 and Loop 250; craft long?term water?supply contracts and right?of?way agreements that secure Midland’s future; and lead a top?to?bottom code overhaul that aligns 21st?century growth with timeless West Texas values. All of this unfolds in a city whose economy rivals larger metros, yet where leadership teams are small enough that a single, decisive attorney can still move the needle every day.

Key Priorities: First 18 Months

1. Activate the TIRZ Playbook– Finalize development agreements, bond documents, and infrastructure covenants for the SH 191 and Loop 250 zones.
2. Secure Water for the Century– Close priority supply contracts and refine the legal framework for regional pipelines and TWDB financing.
3. Launch Code Modernization– Kick off a phased rewrite of Midland’s development, health?and?safety, and procurement ordinances.
4. Streamline Legal Workflows– Implement matter?management software and internal SLA dashboards so staff and departments see real?time status.
5. Strengthen Open?Records Response– Standardize TPIA processes and train liaisons across departments to reduce turnaround times.

Key Responsibilities

• Chief Legal Advisor– Provide timely, practical counsel to the Mayor, Council, City Manager, boards, and commissions; attend public meetings and present options in plain English. 
• Office Leadership & Talent Development– Plan, direct, and evaluate all functions of the City Attorney’s Office; mentor attorneys; set and enforce service standards. 
• Litigation & Risk Management– Represent Midland in civil and criminal proceedings; formulate strategies that minimize exposure while advancing policy goals. 
• Ordinance & Policy Modernization– Draft, review, and update City Code to support growth, economic competitiveness, and regulatory clarity.
• Economic Development & P3 Structuring– Negotiate Chapter 380/381 agreements, TIRZ projects, and complex public?private partnerships. 
• Water Rights & Infrastructure Counsel– Safeguard long?term water security through surface? and groundwater law expertise, TWDB projects, and pipeline ROW acquisition. 
• Open Government & Transparency– Oversee Texas Public Information Act compliance; train staff and respond to Attorney General opinions.
• Budget & Contract Oversight– Develop the department budget, manage outside counsel, and ensure procurement aligns with state law and City policy. 

The Ideal Candidate

Midland seeks a solution?oriented City Attorney who is as comfortable stewarding complex infrastructure deals as prosecuting Municipal Court dockets. You bring a deep command of Texas municipal law, especially in water rights, public finance, and economic?development statutes. You understand bureaucracy, but you also streamline it, removing obstacles so that Council and staff can act quickly and legally. Colleagues describe you as visible, people?centric, and relentlessly organized: a mentor who elevates younger attorneys, a communicator who translates risk into clear choices, and a diplomat who unites diverse viewpoints without becoming the “tail that wags the dog.” Above all, you are driven by integrity, transparency, and the belief that legal counsel should empower growth, not impede it. 

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor from an ABA?accredited law school and active license with the State Bar of Texas.
• Five years of Texas legal practice plus six years in municipal law, including courtroom experience and supervision of legal professionals. 
• Eligibility for admission to the S. District Court, Western District of Texas.
• Preferred to have demonstrated success negotiating economic?development agreements, public?private partnerships, water?rights contracts, or comparable high?value municipal deals.