Election
BY KAMERYN GRIESSER
In November, Bee Cave voters will consider seven city charter amendments, with one proposing major changes to how the city discusses and handles land transactions. Proposition G is on the ballot following a petition by the group Bee Cave Vote to Amend. It was authored by resident Carrell Killebrew, who said the aim is to increase transparency around land transactions. Killebrew said the impetus came from recent land deliberations that took place in closed session. “As a taxpayer, I would like to know why we’re spending money before we’re spending money, and if that’s a piece of land, I’d love to know why we’re selling it and who we’re selling it to,” Killebrew said. “In a closed session, there’s absolutely no public visibility.” Charter changes on local ballot
The other side
Currently, the Texas Open Meetings Act dictates how and when a governing body conducts busi- ness in public or closed meetings. Austin-based attorney Bill Aleshire, who helped craft the Proposition G ballot language, said he believes the requirements of the amendment would not run contrary to the TOMA because of its provision allowing local governments to require open meetings in their charters. Due to the upcoming election, the city of Bee Cave declined to comment on the feasibility or potential outcomes of Proposition G’s passage. In a statement, City Attorney Ryan Henry said the city currently “follows and complies” with the TOMA, and “all decisions regarding land transac- tions are performed in open session.”
Sara Marie Ridley, a community member and consultant for the political action committee A Better Bee Cave, said the city may lose the power to effectively negotiate by requiring land transactions to take place in the public’s view, and the voter-approval requirement could slow land transactions by necessitating organized elections. Jennifer Richter, a resident who lives off Ham- ilton Pool Road, said she is especially concerned the proposition would impede the city’s ability to create an access road from Hwy. 71 to HPR. “I am a burn survivor and had first responders in my kitchen on the day of my accident contem- plating if they needed to Life Flight me because of the traffic at that intersection,” Richter said in a statement.
Proposition A Consolidates provisions related to the process of changing the city’s boundaries
Stay tuned
Proposition B Changes process to adjust council member and mayor compensation
Alongside Proposition G, propositions A-F are city-proposed propositions, the majority of which are intended to make the city charter better conform with state laws and the current practices of the council, according to city staff. Discussions about increasing council compensation kicked off in February, as former City Manager Clint Garza introduced an ordinance to council that ultimately failed to pass. If the charter amendments are passed by voters in November, the city attorney will evaluate the legality and enforceability of the citizen-petition item, Henry said.
What’s on the ballot Per the ballot language, if passed, the Proposition G would:
Proposition C Clarifies and establishes duties of mayor, city manager and other city officers; establishes election of mayor by plurality
Require voter approval for the city to take any action related to city-owned real property Require all deliberation of such action to be done in a public, open session Not require voter approval of the city’s purchase of real property, but require all details to be disclosed publicly
Proposition D Adjusts city budget adoption compliance rules
Proposition E Adds other forms of media for official notices and clarifies liability limits for claims against the city
Proposition F Adjusts the standards and certification time for citizen petitions
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