19 charter amendments on Granite Shoals ballot
Granite Shoals residents are voting on 19 proposed changes to the city charter in the May 4 election. Early voting is currently underway and ends on April 30.
The city’s charter is its governing document, similar to the U.S. Constitution. A vote is required to make any changes to it.
The Granite Shoals Charter Review Committee made amendment recommendations to the City Council in March 2023, but those came too late to qualify for last year’s city election.
The Granite Shoals Charter Education Committee, another group, put together an educational pamphlet for voters in English and Spanish to spread the word about the proposed changes for the 2024 election.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on Election Day, Saturday, May 4, at the Granite Shoals Community Center, 1208 N. Phillips Ranch Road. Early voting at the community center differs depending on the day:
- Monday-Wednesday, April 22-24 — 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Thursday, April 25 — 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
- Friday, April 26 — 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Monday, April 29 — 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
- Tuesday, April 30 — 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
AMENDMENTS
The proposed changes to the charter will be on the ballot in the form of a question to voters.
Proposition A
Shall Article III, Section 3.01 of the City Charter (Composition) be amended to remove language from the initial adoption of the Charter in 2005 regarding the appointment of City Council Place 5 because that position is now elected?
REASON: The council’s Place 5 is an elected position. Outdated language from the original charter states that Place 5 shall be appointed. This amendment would remove that language.
Proposition B
Shall Article III, Section 3.05 of the City Charter (Vacancies, Forfeiture and Filling of Vacancies) be amended to clarify the process used by City Council to elect a Mayor Pro Tem following the appointment to fill the vacancy of the Mayor Pro Tem position?
REASON: This amendment would clarify that a new mayor pro tem be elected by the council if that position is left vacant. Under the current rules, a new mayor pro tem must be voted on whenever there is a change of personnel of any kind on the council.
Proposition C
Shall Article III, Section 3.06 of the City Charter (Powers of the City Council) be amended to modify the powers of City Council to conform with Section 4.02 of the Charter, which grants the City Manager authority to appoint or remove the City Secretary subject to approval of City Council, and to amend Section 3.06 of the Charter to grant the City Council the authority to eliminate administrative departments and to perform annual reviews of the City Manager, Municipal Judge(s), and City Attorney?
REASON: This amendment would take the power to hire and fire the city secretary from the City Council and give it to the city manager subject to the council’s approval. It also gives the council the clear authority to eliminate administrative departments and perform annual performance reviews of positions hired by the council, including the city manager, municipal judges, and city attorney.
Proposition D
Shall Article III, Section 3.07 (Prohibitions) be amended to clarify that Council may not dictate the appointment or removal of contractors whom the City Manager is authorized to appoint, and to prohibit the mayor or any council member from holding a contractor position with the City for one year after the expiration of their term of office?
REASON: The city manager is the only authorized person to hire/remove contractors, and council members cannot be contracted with by the city within one year of leaving office.
Proposition E
Shall Article III, Section 3.10 of the City Charter (Conflicts of Interest) be amended to require the City Attorney to make recommendations to City Council members with a potential conflict of interest regarding an agenda item?
REASON: This amendment would make it a professional and municipal obligation for the city attorney to inform the City Council if it is dealing with potential conflicts of interest on its agenda.
Proposition F
Shall Article IV, Section 4.01 of the City Charter (City Manager) be amended to modify the City Manager’s qualifications and remove the statement that a City Manager is preferred but not required to be a resident of the City?
REASON: This updates the qualifications of the city manager position and removes language that cites a preference for the city manager to live within the city. Current interim City Manager Sarah Novo lives in Leander, and former City Manager Peggy Smith lived in Meadowlakes.
Proposition G
Shall Article IV, Section 4.01 of the City Charter (City Manager) be amended to require the City Manager to provide monthly financial updates to the City Council?
REASON: This would require that the city manager provide monthly financial updates rather than quarterly updates. The city ran into trouble with poorly presented financials throughout the tenure of a former city manager.
Proposition H
Shall Article IV, Section 4.02 of the City Charter (City Secretary) be amended to remove language describing the job functions of the City Secretary, because the City Manager determines these functions pursuant to Section 4.01(5) of the Charter?
REASON: The city manager establishes the job function of the city secretary.
Proposition I
Shall Article IV, Section 4.03 of the City Charter (Municipal Court) be amended to conform the City’s municipal court of record with state law by providing for a presiding municipal judge and one or more associate municipal judges serving four-year terms?
REASON: This would adjust the language of the city charter concerning the city’s municipal court to more precisely reflect the language in Texas Local Government Code. The current language is outdated, and this would align it with state law.
Proposition J
Shall Article IV, Section 4.04 of the City Charter (City Attorney) be amended to require the City Attorney to make recommendations to the City Council regarding potential conflicts of interest?
REASON: To line up with Proposition E.
Proposition K
Shall Article IV, Section 4.06 of the City Charter (Personnel System) be amended to remove the City Secretary from the requirement that the City’s personnel rules must include a plan for an annual evaluation of the City Secretary by the City Council?
REASON: The city secretary is reviewed by the city manager.
Proposition L
Shall Article V, Section 5.02 of the City Charter (Filing for Office) be amended to add a qualification for candidates for elected City offices that they be a qualified voter within the corporate limits of the City prior to the filing date to run for that office?
REASON: A candidate must live within the city limits and be a registered voter.
Proposition M
Shall Article V, Section 5.02 of the City Charter (Filing for Office) be amended to add a qualification for candidates for elected City offices that they remain a qualified voter within the corporate limits of the City while in office?
REASON: This change would add a qualification to candidates filing for office in the city. The amendment would make it clear that a candidate must continue to be a qualified voter while in office. This is currently not made explicitly clear in the charter.
Proposition N
Shall Article V, Section 5.02 of the City Charter (Filing for Office) be amended to add a qualification for candidates for elected City offices that a City employee must resign from employment with the City after being sworn into a City elected office?
REASON: An elected city official can’t be an employee of the city.
Proposition O
Shall Article V, Section 5.04 of the City Charter (Official Results) be amended to clean up language addressing tie votes in council elections and the canvass of council elections?
REASON: A Typo in original charter (recall vs. runoff).
Proposition P
Shall Article IX, Section 9.02 of the City Charter (Duties and Powers) be amended to require the Planning and Zoning Commission to provide reports or presentations to City Council on potential costs or financial impacts regarding matters brought before the Commission?
REASON: Zoning changes must have a financial report presented to the City Council.
Proposition Q
Shall Article XI, Section 11.07 of the City Charter (Charter Review Commission) be amended to require an appointed Charter Review Commission to begin its functions by June 1st of the year in which it is formed?
REASON: Under the charter’s current rules, the Charter Review Commission can only be active for six months. With a mandatory June 1 start date, this would prevent the commission from starting later in the year, which would potentially prevent the commission’s proposed changes from making it onto the spring ballot.
Proposition R
Shall Article XI, Section 11.08 of the City Charter (Submission of Charter to Electors) be amended to comply with state law, which requires that voters be allowed to vote to approve or disapprove any one or more proposed Charter amendments without having to approve all of the amendments in a single vote?
REASON: Under the current rules, voters technically have to vote “all” or “none” on charter amendments. This conflicts with state law, which requires that voters have a choice on each amendment. State law supersedes municipal law, regardless of what is written in the charter.
Proposition S
Shall Article XIV, Section 14.01 of the City Charter (Nepotism) be amended to align the Charter with state law regarding the hiring of employees or contractors who are related to the Mayor, City Manager, or any City Council member?
REASON: To align with state nepotism laws.