| General-law City | a city with a government that functions under the general laws of Texas and often provides basic services shuch as police, fire protection, and water |
| Home-rule City | a city with a government that has freedom to govern unless prohibited by state or federal laws |
| Mayor-council | a form of government in which the mayor has full executive authority (Strong and Weak Mayor) |
| Council-manager | a form of city government in which the city council hires a professional city manager to manage city affairs and prepare the budget; the mayor is mostly a figure head |
| Strong-mayor City | mayor is responsible for day-to-day operations, hiring/firing department heads, and vetoing city council actions |