Terrell Voters Approve All 22 City Charter Amendments
Unofficial Kaufman County results show Propositions A through V all passing. Proposition I, on counting abstentions as yes votes, had the closest margin.
Terrell voters approved all 22 proposed city charter amendments on Nov. 3. Unofficial Kaufman County results show every proposition from A through V passing.
That clean sweep ends months of charter-review work and puts a long list of housekeeping and policy changes into the city's rulebook at once. We previewed the 22 amendments before Election Day, including Proposition I's abstention rule.
According to the Kaufman County Clarity elections site, last updated at 12:35:33 a.m. CST on Nov. 4 with 8 of 8 precincts reporting, each measure won. The closest race was Proposition I, which passed 2,120 to 1,813. The widest margins were on Propositions Q (3,525–424) and G (3,581–425). The results remain unofficial until the canvass.
U.S. Highway 80 in Terrell, August 2011. Photo: Billy Hathorn / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0.
What voters approved
The city's special election page lists 22 separate amendments. Voters could mark for or against each one. Because of the long ballot, Kaufman County allowed voters to bring a paper list of their choices into the booth as a reference.
Among the changes: Proposition A lets the council make non-substantive charter cleanups by ordinance without another election. Proposition C lets the council redraw council-district lines after each federal census under state and federal law. Proposition F requires the annual audit to be posted on the city website. Proposition G requires meeting notices three full business days ahead of a meeting.
Proposition I drew the most attention before Election Day. It says that if a council member abstains without declaring a conflict of interest, that abstention is recorded as an affirmative vote. It passed, but with the narrowest margin of the night: 2,120 for and 1,813 against, a 307-vote edge by our math.
Other approved items include a four-year cap on the city manager's contract with a surety bond (K), council authority to appoint a city attorney or law firm (L), a two-thirds vote to remove the municipal court judge (M), limits on city employees' political activity (N), a five-year capital improvement plan in the annual budget (O), and a charter review at least every five years (U).
Proposition V brings the charter's annexation language in line with state law. Proposition S points filing, ballot printing and runoff rules to state law and the secretary of state. Proposition R requires at least $1 million in errors-and-omissions coverage for city officials.
Where that leaves City Hall
City Hall is at 201 East Nash Street, Terrell, Texas 75160. The main number is (972) 551-6600. City Secretary Dawn Steil is listed on the election page at ext. 1222 for questions. The mailing address on the page is P.O. Box 310.
The charter is the city's local constitution. With every amendment passing, the council can begin implementing the new rules after the canvass and any required filings. Residents who want the full ballot wording can still find the plain-language summaries on the city's election page.
Our view
Twenty-two questions is a lot for one ballot, but Terrell voters worked through them and drew a line on each. The abstention rule in Proposition I deserved the closest look, and it still passed. City Hall should now follow the new charter as written, not as convenient.
Hero photo: Terrell City Hall, photographed in August 2011. Photo: Billy Hathorn / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
