Horseshoe Bay charter committee seeking public comments
The city’s 15-member charter committee met Thursday to review the fourth draft of the proposed document which, if approved by voters, will give the City Council more authority as a home-rule city to draft and approve local laws.
Horseshoe Bay, originally a real estate project crafted by Forth Worth developers in the 1970s was incorporated as a city following a referendum in 2005.
Since then, Councilman Jim Babcock in August proposed creating a city charter that would transform Horseshoe Bay from a statute-driven Type-A municipality to a home-rule city.
The trigger for home-rule usually comes when a city’s population hits 5,000 or more.
Babcock, who attended Thursday’s meeting along with Mayor Bob Lambert, said earlier he hopes to put the charter before voters in May 2009.
“If we wanted to convert by May of next year, we’d need to begin forthwith,” Babcock said. “We could have something to present to the council as early as January.”
City Attorney Monte Akers said the charter allows local officials to write and approve their own laws, granting residents much more say in how their city is run.
Currently Horseshoe Bay is a general-law city.
“A general-law city is only allowed to do what the (state) Legislature has authorized,” Akers said. “With a home-rule city, it’s exactly the opposite. A city charter acts as a sort of constitution for the city.”
With a home-rule charter comes expanded powers related to annexation, road funding and local control, Akers said.
“It allows the ultimate in local control under the law,” he said.
Among the issues discussed Thursday were qualifications for council candidates, as well as attendance requirements for council meetings.
One of the biggest issues related to the home-rule charter is control of local roads. Currently, all non-state or non-county roads in the city are owned by the Horseshoe Bay Property Owners Association, though that group hopes to turn over upkeep of the streets to the city along with a portion of the POA funds collected for street maintenance.
Lambert earlier said he supports a home-rule clause that would allow the city to charge residents living on a particular street for some of that street’s maintenance costs.
Council members hope this method will allow the city to upgrade local roads without significant property-tax hikes to meet standards approved when the city was incorporated.
“The improved flexibility with the streets is the main reason why I would support a home-rule charter,” Lambert said.
The council will hold a workshop session to discuss the POA road proposal 9 a.m. Saturday in council chambers, 1 Community Drive.
Voters could decide on the home-rule charter during municipal elections in May.
The next regular council meeting is set for 3 p.m. Dec. 16 in council chambers.
chris@thepicayune.com