However, council member Dan Smith, who proposed the amendments, said he stands by the timing of the proposed charter changes because the city already has to fund a contested mayoral election this May.
A closer look
The five proposed charter amendments were approved by City Council Feb. 10 and include:
- Clarifying mayor pro tem voting rules
- Extending the resign to run policy for council and the mayor to the state standard
- Allowing department heads to appeal terminations to City Council
- Extending term limits for council members from two to four consecutive terms
The big picture
The former mayors—including Skip Conner, Hank Schmidt, Doyle Callender, Don Elder Jr., Fabol Hughes, Chuck Brawner and Bill Hastings—issued an April 7 joint new release claiming the proposals could harm the city’s accountability and stability.
The mayors also said they disagree with how the charter amendments were proposed, as Smith proposed them Jan. 27 after the Charter Review Commission recommended no changes to the city’s charter the same day.
“The current effort that led to these charter changes being moved to a voter election literally ignored and rejected that highly public process,” they said in the statement. “The result is that these proposed charter amendments absolutely did not have the due diligence review of the Charter Review Commission and the public before being sent to voters.”
What they’re saying
Smith said the commission completed their charter review before a challenger for the mayor’s seat filed.
“After multiple uncontested elections, it was widely assumed there wouldn’t be an election this year,” Smith said. “But when a challenger filed, it made practical sense to place these propositions on the regular ballot—saving taxpayers the cost of a separate special election.”
The city’s charter review commission met three times between October and January, meeting last on Jan. 7, per meeting notices. City filing information shows mayoral candidate Michael Anthony Payne filed Jan. 15, between when council approved the commission’s report on Jan. 27.
Conner, who was the commission chair and served as mayor from 1991-95, said City Council members didn’t attend the public charter review meetings leading up to the vote.
“I think it is important for [residents] to understand the bottom line that this small group of advocates, including ones who could directly benefit from extended terms for council members, have flaunted this very public process keeping their intentions secret from the general public until the last possible moment,” he claimed. “The current group of council members are trying to change how the city is governed.”
What else?
Mayor William “Dusty” H. Thiele wasn’t involved in the joint news release, but he said publicly at council meetings and in an email to Community Impact that he disapproved of how the amendments were brought forward to voters. Thiele is not a voting member of City Council unless there’s a tie vote.
“The Charter Review Commission exists to ensure transparency, thorough evaluation, and public input,” he said in an emailed statement. “Council members who had concerns or proposed amendments had the opportunity to present them before the Commission but chose not to do so. This departure from established procedure is disappointing, as it undermines the integrity of the review process.”
Looking ahead
Early voting is underway through April 29, with election day set for May 3, according to the Texas Secretary of State’s website.
