Government
BY NICHAELA SHAHEEN
Conroe declines charter committee proposal A proposed charter review committee failed to gain traction during the July 24 Conroe City Council meeting, dying for lack of a second motion during the voting process. The details The item, introduced by Mayor Duke Coon and Mayor Pro Tem Howard Wood, would have appointed ve citizens—one selected by each council member—to assist the city’s charter attorney in reviewing potential amendments to Conroe’s governing document. However, no council member o ered a second to Wood’s motion, ending the proposal. While the proposal failed, many agreed that more citizen feedback is needed. Deputy City Administrator Nancy Mikeska said a form for cit- izens to submit comments was available online through the week following the second town hall July 28, with nal recommendations expected before council votes to set the ballot. Some context The city held its rst charter town hall July 17, where residents raised concerns, including County OKs use for rst road bond funds Montgomery County commissioners moved forward with how to use the rst allocation of $128 million in funding from the $480 million road bond approved by voters in May. The funds were wired to the county last week, Budget O cer Amanda Carter said during a July 29 meeting. The motion passed 4-1, with Precinct 3 Commissioner Ritch Wheeler voting against, citing unfairness to voters. What happened Instead of dividing the initial $128 million evenly across the four precincts, commis- sioners adopted a “milestone encumbrance” method which places the full $128 million in a general fund, with allocations made as each project reaches contractual milestones, such as design, Carter said.
Conroe awards contracts for tra c signal upgrades Conroe City Council approved two bid awards for tra c signal upgrades July 24. In a nutshell The council unanimously awarded a $513,432 contract for a new tra c signal at Hwy. 105 and Sixth Street and a $545,377 contract for improvements at Hwy. 75 and FM 2854, per the agenda. Both contracts were awarded to Statewide Tra c Signal Company. The upgrades will convert the intersections to mast-arm signals with pedestrian crossing components, per the agenda. The projects’ substantial completion date is 270 days.
“Open this up to every registered voter in the city of Conroe. That’s the
committee. Not somebody that somebody’s picked, open it up to every ... voter.”
MARSHA PORTER, COUNCIL MEMBER, ON A PROPOSED CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE
council structure, pay, term limits and bond issues. The second charter town hall took place July 28. City Administrator Gary Scott said the charter has not undergone a full review in more than a decade. Past proposals from former Mayor Jody Czajkoski included a switch to a council-manager form of government. The last charter changes in 2014 included adjustments to court judge appointments and changes to council term lengths from two years to four years. Stay tuned The city hired a charter attorney to gather input and recommend updates. Conroe City Council was set to vote Aug. 14, after press time, on whether to call an election to send proposed charter amendments to voters in November.
N. 6TH ST.
75
105
W . D A V I
L F S T .
2854
N
Conroe adopts ethics code on nancial disclosures In a move aimed at strengthening transparency, Conroe City Council approved a new ethics ordi- nance July 24, requiring city o cials and candidates to publicly disclose detailed nancial information. The ordinance passed 4-1, with council member Howard Wood voting against. Two-minute impact The ordinance applies to elected o cials,
According to the ordinance, disclosures must include: All sources of occupational income and business clients Real estate interests and investment holdings Income from interest, dividends, royalties and rents Stock and mutual fund names with the number of shares held
municipal judges, candidates and city appointees to the Conroe Industrial Development Corp. and Local Government Corporation, along with their spouses, City Attorney Mike Garner said. The ordinance does not require disclosures from the city’s administrative sta , despite council debate on the issue. In a statement sent to Community Impact , Wood said he believes in full transparency but voted against for not requiring city sta to comply. “[Thursday’s] vote for ‘personal nances disclo- sure and transparency’ does not include executive
SOURCE: CITY OF CONROE COMMUNITY IMPACT
city sta who have direct decision-making or in u- ence on Conroe tax dollar spend[ing],” Wood said. “I voted no. Had it included these key positions, I would’ve gladly voted yes to adopt it.” What this means Starting in 2026, o cials will le annual nancial disclosure statements April 30, covering the prior calendar year. Garner said forms are being nalized.
9
CONROE MONTGOMERY EDITION
Powered by FlippingBook