Council approves 14 charter changes.

The #Bastrop City Council is shaking things up. In a bold move for government transparency, they just approved 14 propositions to amend the city charter on the November ballot.

• Proposition K is a key measure, lowering the quorum for most city business from 4 to 3. This simple change prevents backroom deals, as only 3 members are needed to discuss city issues openly.

• The council also proposes decriminalizing low-level possession of marijuana within city limits - a bold step forward with strong public support (613 signatures!).

• Other changes include:

  • Proposition A: aligning annexation laws with state ones.
  • Proposition B: "resign to run" rules for council members.
  • Proposition C/D: free digital access to technical regs/ordinances.
  • Proposition E: City Council sets municipal court judge term length.
  • Proposition F: repeal outdated provisions.
  • Proposition G: gender-neutral language.
  • Proposition H: clarifies the appointment process for advisory boards.
  • Proposition I: compensation increase for mayor and council members.
  • Proposition J: a charter review commission every 6 years.
  • Proposition L: city manager need not reside in city limits.

The full list: https://bastropconsultant.com/OctoberAgendaPacket.pdf

"This proposal would allow a voting majority of the council to operate under a veil of secrecy, whether intentional or not. Under this proposal, a three-person majority of this council could appoint themselves to a committee and then conduct the people's business entirely in secret, showing up to a public council meeting, only to vote on what they already had decided to do." - David Bragg, Charter Review Commission chair