Bandera residents press council over EDC-funded Christmas display; city staff outline funding and shortfall

Bandera — Residents urged the City of Bandera Council on (date not specified) to halt or reopen public discussion of Economic Development Corporation spending for a Christmas-in-the-park display, saying the EDC's purchase and the council’s handling of the project lacked public input.

The petition, speakers said during the public-comment portion of the meeting, asks that citizens be given a formal say on the EDC’s $60,000 expenditure for a Christmas tree and light tunnel. "I signed it and asked others to sign it because...this was forced on the EDC," resident RC Casey said, adding the complaint is about process rather than the holiday itself.

Why it matters: City staff told the council that donations and budget entries already earmark money for the project, and councilmembers discussed using a budget line originally intended for a council pay increase to cover any remaining deficit. That proposed transfer and the process that led to the purchase were central points of both public complaint and council questions.

During the meeting, City Administrator Allison walked council members through the quarterly budget. She said the city moved about $37,000 in donations into a dedicated "Christmas" fund; she also said a $2,000 donation was recorded after the report was printed. "That revenue was moved out and moved into its own fund," Allison said of the original $37,000 donations, and noted the additional $2,000 was booked the same day.

Councilmember Darcy raised concern about how staff planned to cover a reported deficit for the event, and Allison explained that $22,865 budgeted in the council pay line (for an increase that cannot take effect until later) would be shifted to the Christmas fund to eliminate the shortfall. "Those extra dollars that were supposed to be city council raises... are gonna be moved back out and put into the Christmas," she said. Allison added that the plan would zero out the festival fund balance so it would be balanced going forward.

Several public commenters said the city should have presented the project and its funding to residents before committing contract or purchase decisions. "Why not...bring it before the citizens like everything else," Katie, a resident who turned in the petition, said during public comment.

Council reaction was mixed: some members said the EDC has safeguards and is subject to council oversight; others said a broader public discussion and merchant buy-in would have been useful. No formal vote to rescind or pause the project was recorded in the transcript. Allison characterized the donations and the proposed internal transfer as administrative measures to cover the event expenses rather than a change in policy.

The meeting record shows the city intends to keep the Christmas donations in a restricted fund for the display. Residents and at least one councilmember said they would like a clearer public process for large one-time EDC expenditures in the future.

Ending: The council did not record a vote during the public-comment and budget discussion on whether to retract or change the EDC purchase; the budget explanation and the proposed transfer of council pay funds to cover the event were left as staff direction to implement and to report back in future budget updates.