Growing Pains

“I wish we had something besides a strip joint coming to town,

like a YMCA or a movie theater.”

Deborah Dobie

Superintendent of Schools, Carrizo Springs, Texas 

Photo by Billy Hathorn

Careful what you wish. For Carrizo Springs, Texas (population 5,325), located in one of the poorest counties in the nation, it was a dream come true when oil company Eagle Ford rolled into town last year. Eagle Ford brought with it oil-drilling jobs—6,800 in 2010 and thousands more expected by 2020—and spurred an increase in demand for local goods and services. Both county and sales taxes doubled, t00. The little town that was going bust suddenly boomed.

But with the boom times come growing pains. A two-bedroom home that rented for just $250 per month a year ago is now fetching $1,200 per month. Grocery stores are struggling to keep their shelves filled and restaurants are scrambling to find more space to accommodate the crowds. And, as always happens when demand outpaces supply, prices are on the rise. Yes, these things can be a pain, but what really has the folks around Carrizo Springs up in arms is what wants to come next: a strip club on the outskirts of town.

The county received a request from out-of-town strip club operators, and before they knew what hit them, the county commissioners realized they could not block the club. Maybe not, but they didn’t have to welcome it with open arms, either. So instead, the commissioners created a committee to regulate everything from the kind of drinking containers allowed to the number of security guards on duty. The rules also ban smoking and gambling and burning garbage (?), and spell out in uncomfortable detail exactly what constitutes “sexual activities.” So far the cold shoulder seems to be working. The county hasn’t received any further inquiries.

But perhaps this is much ado about nothing. A strip club opened down the road in Encinal, Texas (pop. 600) earlier this year, and business has been slow. Locals don’t want to pay the $10 cover charge and $5 per drink. Things have gotten so bad that the strip club converted its operations to catering during the day—to feed the hungry oil workers—and still dabbles in exotic entertainment at night—apparently hoping to satisfy the oil workers’ other appetites.

Back at Carrizo Springs, the town is considering following in the footsteps of its county counterparts and creating a laundry list of regulations governing adult entertainment. Although no strip clubs have approached the city about doing business, city leaders figure they’ll be ready, just in case. They’ve learned the oil boom can be a good thing, as long as you’re careful what you wish. 

Read the articles:
·        Boomtown today, sin city tomorrow?
·        Eagle Ford's calling card: Help wanted