Lewisville residents, mark your calendars: you've got an important date with democracy on May 3. A Charter Amendment Election is set to take place, offering residents the chance to vote on six proposed changes to the City Charter. This comes in addition to selecting three City Council members, already slated for the ballot. In a move dedicated to democracy, early voting will kick start this process from April 22 through April 29, culminating in the Election Day voting set from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the first Saturday of May.
The impetus behind these proposed amendments stems from the Charter Review Commission's recommendations, which were delivered to the City Council back in late January. According to the information released by the City of Lewisville, Proposition A is all about cleaning house – it aims to amend those pesky non-substantive errors like capitalizations and punctuation, syncing up contradictory sections, and scrubbing out-dated position titles from the books.
But the changes don't just end with a grammar check. Although reading ordinances on three distinct days at open meetings – a common historical practice to ensure transparency – looks to be a thing of the past if Proposition B passes. It proposes a time-saving measure allowing the City Council to pass ordinances at a single meeting without the need to label it an emergency, as long as the proper procedures are followed.
Meanwhile, Proposition C seeks to switch things up by transferring the power to appoint, remove, and assign the duties of the city secretary from the City Council to the City Manager, a significant shift in administrative dynamics. In another nod to efficiency and modernizing processes, Proposition D would require mayoral and councilmember candidates to submit a voter-signed petition matching the number required by state law, and also toss out the old loyalty affidavit requirement.
Expansion is also on the ballot. Proposition E suggests broadening participation by increasing the charter review commission from five members to seven, while Proposition F addresses the wallet by proposing a compensation increase for elected officials. The mayor would see a raise from $50 per meeting to a monthly $400, while councilmembers would go up to $300 monthly.
