OUR TURN: More candidates should run for Horseshoe Bay City Council

The City Council of Horseshoe Bay is going to great lengths to ascertain the views of residents on a number of issues.

Their effort is commendable. Residents should always feel the door is open at City Hall, and leaders on the dais should always be willing to listen to their neighbors’ views.

However, Horseshoe Bay residents who want to help guide their city’s future should set their sights on doing more at City Hall than just signing petitions and answering surveys.

In a city that boasts an influential retiree population of engineers, jurists, captains of industry and bureaucrats, it seems surprising the same same mayor and same mayor pro-tem have been in power since 2005, and there have been no uncontested elections for a few years.

Those who feel they have more to contribute than a signature or a single opinion ought to run for office when the next elections come around, which is Nov. 2.

The city was incorporated in 2005, and that was the only time there was a contested election.

Every council election since then has featured only a single slate of candidates.

If an incumbent opts not to run again, then only one person ever emerges to fill that spot.

This is not a knock on Mayor Bob Lambert or Mayor Pro-tem Jim Babcock. But even they might agree a little more active participation in the city’s political process is warranted.

New ideas and new viewpoints are the lifeblood of any sound political process. Certainly Horseshoe Bay residents, given their level of citizen input, don’t want to see City Hall grow stale.

There are many important issues on the table in Horseshoe Bay and no shortage of opinions on how City Hall should conduct business.

For one, the city is considering building a bridge into Bay West in place of a concrete slab that frequently floods. The project carries a price tag of $1.15 million, including $600,000 for the bridge alone.

The city is asking residents for their views before committing to the costly project. Already there has been plenty of debate.

In another divisive issue over how to pay for road upgrades, residents collected more than 800 signatures indicating they did not favor a plan by the council to charge homeowners for improvements to their streets based on the expected increase in property values resulting from the upgrade.

Rather than drag the matter out, Lambert tabled the proposal.

Councilman Steve Spence said ending the debate was a good move. But he also hinted this kind of activism was needed inside City Hall as well.

"I applaud the (petition) committee’s interest in city government, and I hope the interest will continue on to the November (council) election," he said.

Most municipalities in Burnet and Llano counties hold their elections in May, but Horseshoe Bay’s balloting in November is the same day as the midterm election.

Residents who are truly committed to seeing a change in Horseshoe Bay might want to considering throwing their hats into the ring when filing begins in late summer or early fall.

Citizen activism is good, but so is taking charge and leading the people. Come November, more residents need to run for city office.

The Daily Tribune editorial board includes Dan Alvey, Amber Alvey Weems, Thomas Edwards, Chris Porter and Daniel Clifton.