Election
BY KAROLINE PFEIL
6 charter changes up for a vote on Lakeway ballot Voters in Lakeway will be presented with six proposed amendments to the Lakeway City Charter on the May 3 election ballot, addressing changes to city processes, job positions, boards and commis- sions, and more. In February 2024, Lakeway City Council formed a Charter Review Committee to collaborate with both the city manager and city attorney to put forward recommendations for city charter amendments. Usually, those recommendations are based on updates to state law or city policy, Lakeway City Manager Joseph Molis said. Recommendations put forward by the Charter Review Committee were first presented to Lakeway City Council on Oct. 21. Six amendments were selected, and with ballot language now finalized, these amendments will appear on the May ballot as propositions, B-G. The city is currently in compliance with state law, and none of these amendments are strictly necessary—they simply reflect changes that the city would like to make, Mayor Thomas Kilgore said at council’s Dec. 2 meeting. What’s next Additionally, under Proposition A, the city is requesting re-authorization of a local sales tax collection, at a rate of 0.25%, for the purpose of funding a city road maintenance program. This road tax has been in place for over two decades and requires reauthorization by voters every four years.
Proposition B
Proposition E
Impact: Revises residency requirements for the city manager, requiring that the individual occupying this position reside within the boundaries of Lake Travis Independent School District, rather than within Lakeway’s city limits. Reason: The Charter Review Committee believed that this amendment was needed due to current policies hampering the city’s ability to hire qualified candidates, Charter Review Committee member Sanjeev Kumar said at the council’s Dec. 2 meeting.
Impact: Standardizes appointments of individuals to boards and commissions in such a way that each city council member will appoint one individual to each board or commission for a term of one year, with the mayor’s appointee serving as the chair of each board or commission. Reason: This amendment was recommended by the Charter Review Committee in order to simplify board and commission appointments.
Proposition F
Proposition C
Impact: Eliminates the city’s Board of Ethics while maintaining that the city must still adopt a city ethics ordinance. Reason: This amendment was put forward due to the Charter Review Committee’s belief that the board does not currently have a wide scope of influence on city matters and that its purpose is not being fulfilled.
Impact: Eliminates the city treasurer role and allows the finance director and finance department to assume that position’s duties. Reason: This amendment was put forward to account for the fact that the job functions of the city treasurer are currently being met by other departments, Mayor Tom Kilgore said.
Proposition G
Proposition D
Impact: Eliminates the City Building Commission, or CBC, with duties of that commission being assigned either to the city’s Zoning and Planning Commission, Board of Adjustment, or Building and Development Services director. Reason: Given developments in city policy since the CBC’s founding, City Manager Joseph Molis suggested the board could be removed if its narrow scope of duties were transferred to other boards and commissions.
Impact: Revises police department policy change process to require city manager approval rather than City Council, with the city manager reporting new changes to council within 10 days of approval. Reason: The amendment aims to give the chief of police and city manager primary decision-making power on police policies and procedures, Charter Review Committee chair Louis Mastrangelo said. See Page 15 for more information on Proposition A. The city is currently working on an educational campaign to share information with voters regarding the propositions via explanatory videos, Molis said. The full text of each amendment can be found on Lakeway’s website.
SOURCE: CITY OF LAKEWAY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
To find more information on the charter amendments and to read the proposed text in full, visit www.lakeway-tx.gov/427/Election-Information.
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