City of Galveston

What City of Galveston does

The City of Galveston is a municipal government entity established in 1836, serving the residents, businesses, and visitors of Galveston Island, Texas. It operates as a full-service city government providing utilities (water and sewer), public safety (police, fire, emergency management), public works, parks and recreation, permitting, municipal court, public transit (Island Transit), and airport operations (Scholes International Airport), supported by a workforce of 5,001-10,000 employees and a governance structure consisting of a Mayor and six district council representatives.

The city's digital service portfolio is built on a stack of third-party platforms: the official website (galvestontx.gov) runs on CivicPlus; the short-term rental (STR) registration and Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) collection system uses Rentalscape, which scrubs thousands of websites daily to identify registered and unregistered properties among approximately 4,200-4,400 STRs; paid parking at the Seawall and downtown districts operates through PayByPhone with automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) enforcement on parking vehicles; recreation registration runs on CivicRec; building permits are processed via Accela; and utility billing is managed through epayub. The city maintains WCAG 2.0 A/AA and Section 508 accessibility compliance.

The revenue model is a mix of tax collection, usage-based fees, and subscriptions rather than commercial sales. Key revenue streams include Hotel Occupancy Tax collected from STRs (with Airbnb and VRBO mandated to collect and remit per an August 2021 ordinance), $250 annual STR registration fees, Seawall parking at $2/hour (max $16/day) with $45 annual passes, and downtown parking at $2.25/hour across 17 pay stations with PayByPhone transaction fees. Customer segments include residents, tourists and visitors (primary for parking), and short-term rental property owners. The city also maintains Sister City relationships with Stavanger (Norway, 1988), Niigata (Japan), Veracruz (Mexico), and Macharaviaya (Spain).

Name

City of Galveston

Legal name

City of Galveston

Website

https://galvestontx.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1836

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

The City of Galveston is a municipal government established in 1836 serving Galveston Island, Texas residents, visitors, and approximately 4,200-4,400 short-term rental property owners with utilities, public safety, transit, permitting, and digital services including STR registration, paid parking, and online permitting.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Government Services

NAICS

Parking Lots and Garages (81293), Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities (922)

SIC

Transportation Services (4700), Services-Automotive Repair, Services & Parking (7500)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Transportation, Parking & Mobility Administration (BPAIACAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Parking & Curbside Management Authorities (Municipal Parking, Permits, Loading Zones) (BPAIALAL), Parking & Toll Payment/Reservation Platforms (BPAMAIAL), Public Transit Bus Operator Authorities & Agencies (Planning/Fare/Admin) (TLAFAGAL)

Keywords

• Municipal government services
• Public administration
• Utility billing
• Paid parking
• Short-term rental regulation

Headquarters

HQ city

Galveston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT): Tax collected from short-term rental owners on lodging transactions. Platforms including Airbnb and VRBO collect and remit local hotel occupancy tax for transactions on their platforms since August 2021 ordinance.
2. Short-Term Rental Registration Fees: Annual $250 registration fee paid by STR owners, covering HOT administration, tracking, compliance, and 24-hour STR call center operations.
3. Seawall Paid Parking: Hourly parking fees at Seawall Boulevard: $2/hour with 2-hour minimum, max $16/day. Annual passes available for $45/year. Revenue from parking enforcement citations.
4. Downtown Paid Parking: Hourly parking in downtown district: $2.25/hour with 1-hour minimum. Revenue from 17 pay stations and PayByPhone transactions including transaction fees.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The City of Galveston delivers municipal government services to residents, businesses, and visitors of Galveston Island, including utility billing, paid parking at Seawall Boulevard and downtown, short-term rental registration and Hotel Occupancy Tax collection, public transportation via Island Transit, online permitting, parks and recreation, public safety, and emergency management. Digital service platforms such as Rentalscape for STR oversight, PayByPhone for parking, and Accela for permitting enable online self-service access to these government functions.

Product overview

The City of Galveston's digital services portfolio consists of its official website (galvestontx.gov) built on CivicPlus, short-term rental registration management via Rentalscape, paid parking systems integrated with PayByPhone for both Seawall and Downtown districts, public transit via Island Transit, online permitting through Accela, and utility billing services. These products collectively provide digital access to municipal government services for residents, businesses, and visitors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• galvestontx.gov - Official City Website Official website of the City of Galveston providing access to city services, department information, online payments, permits, and community resources, built on the CivicPlus government website platform.
• Short-Term Rental (STR) Registration Platform Online registration and management system for Galveston Vacation Rental (GVR) numbers managing over 4,400 short-term rental properties, with annual registration renewals, Hotel Occupancy Tax tracking, and compliance monitoring via the Rentalscape platform.
• Seawall Paid Parking Paid parking program along Seawall Boulevard at $2/hour with a 2-hour minimum and $16 daily maximum, featuring PayByPhone integration, automatic license plate recognition enforcement, and annual passes at $45/year, enforced daily from 10 AM to 6 PM.
• Downtown Paid Parking Downtown parking district with $2.25/hour rates, 17 pay stations accepting cash/credit/debit, and PayByPhone integration, covering the area from 20th to 25th Street and Harborside Drive to Church Street, with $1.25 per 30-minute increments after the first hour.
• Island Transit Public transportation system serving Galveston Island with fixed routes, Dial-A-Ride paratransit services, and fare management for residents and visitors.
• Online Permitting System Online building permit application and management system via Accela for construction, electrical, HVAC, plumbing permits, and inspections.
• Utility Billing Services Water and sewer billing, payment processing, water quality reporting, and advanced metering infrastructure management for Galveston residents via the epayub.com platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• Manages over 4,400 short-term rental properties through automated registration and HOT tax collection
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Stavanger, NorwayminorOthers · 25 August 1988Sister city relationship declared by Resolution on August 25, 1988. Part of City of Galveston's international cultural exchange program.
• Niigata, JapanminorOthersSister city relationship part of international cultural exchange program for cultural and community connections.
• Veracruz, MexicominorOthersSister city relationship part of international cultural exchange program.
• Macharaviaya, SpainminorOthersSister city relationship with this municipality in the province of Málaga, Spain, in the autonomous community of Andalusia.
• Galveston Chamber of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional business organization providing economic development support, business resources, and tourism promotion for Galveston Island.
• Galveston Park Board of TrusteescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManages beach access, tourism infrastructure, and convention facilities. Previously handled STR registrations before city takeover.
• Galveston Central Appraisal DistrictminorOthersProperty tax assessment entity that provides property identification (GCAD number) required for STR registration.
• Houston-Galveston Area Council (HGAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional planning agency providing services across 13-county region including transportation planning and bus service exploration.
• Port of GalvestoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeaport operations supporting cruise industry and cargo, key economic driver for the island.
• Airbnb and VRBOcoreTechnology or IntegrationShort-term rental platforms required by August 2021 city ordinance to collect and remit local hotel occupancy tax for transactions on their platforms.
• Texas A&M University at GalvestonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigher education institution on the island contributing to educational and research ecosystem.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@cityofgalveston9496
• Facebookfacebook.com/cityofgalveston
• Instagraminstagram.com/cityofgalvestontx
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/city-of-galveston

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about City of Galveston