Terrell Votes on 22 Charter Changes, Including One That Counts Abstentions as Yes

Terrell voters face 22 proposed changes to their city charter on Nov. 3. Most are housekeeping. A few would change how the City Council does business, including one that would count a council member's silence as a "yes" vote.

The Terrell City Council ordered the election in Ordinance No. 3187, approved on second and final reading on Aug. 18. The propositions came from a Charter Review Committee the council appointed. Voters will mark for or against each one separately. The city also posts a plain-language summary of each proposition.

Because the ballot is so long, the city says Kaufman County is allowing voters to bring a paper list of their choices into the booth to use as a reference.

The changes that matter most

Proposition I: abstaining counts as yes. The ballot asks whether "if no conflict of interest is announced an abstention from voting shall be counted as an affirmative vote." Under Proposition H, a council member who plans to abstain because of a conflict would have to announce it. Together, they mean a member could no longer sit out a hard vote without giving a reason. Without a declared conflict, the vote would go down as yes.

Proposition C: redistricting by ordinance. The council could draw council member districts by ordinance and redistrict after each census if needed to meet the one-person, one-vote requirement. The city's summary says this would happen without a special election.

Proposition E: running for another office. A mayor or council member who announces or becomes a candidate for any other public office, other than a seat on the City Council, would automatically resign.

Proposition J: one reading. Ordinances could pass on a single reading unless the law requires more.

Proposition N: politics and city jobs. City employees could not contribute to or be asked to support candidates for city office, or campaign for city office while on duty or in uniform. No one could pay for a job or promotion, and no one could pressure a civil service employee into political work. Violators would be barred from city office for four years and removed immediately from city jobs or office.

U.S. Highway 80 through downtown Terrell in August 2011. Photo: Billy Hathorn / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0.

Changes to the city's top jobs

• Proposition K: The city manager's contract could not run longer than four years at a time, though it could be renewed. The manager would be covered by a surety bond.

• Proposition L: The council could appoint and remove a city attorney, either a person or a law firm, and hire special counsel.

• Proposition M: Removing the municipal court judge would take a two-thirds vote of the council.

• Proposition D: The mayor's role as head of city government would be described as ceremonial.

Money and transparency

• Proposition O: Every annual budget would include a five-year capital improvements plan.

• Proposition P: No spending above budgeted amounts without a budget amendment.

• Propositions F, G and Q: The audit and budget would be posted online, and meeting notices would go up three full business days ahead, as state law requires.

• Proposition R: The city would carry at least $1 million in errors-and-omissions coverage for its officials.

Housekeeping

The rest mostly bring the charter in line with state law or clean it up. Proposition A lets the council fix typos and renumber sections by ordinance, as long as nothing substantive changes. Others cover the selection of the mayor pro tem (B), election filing and runoffs (S), fire limits (T), annexation (V), and a charter review at least every five years (U).

A word on Proposition I

There is something to be said for making officials go on the record. Scripture puts it simply: "Let your yes be yes and your no be no." Voters elect council members to decide, not to duck. Still, an abstention is not the same as agreement. Recording it as a yes puts words in a member's mouth that he or she did not say. Voters should weigh whether the fix fits the problem. For a look at another city's charter overhaul, see our coverage of the Farmers Branch charter panel.

How to vote

Early voting continues through Friday, Oct. 30, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., including at the Terrell Sub-Courthouse, 408 E. College St. On Election Day, Nov. 3, polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Check Kaufman County Elections for Election Day locations. See our guide to the final week of early voting.