Bandera council approves bank signer change, vacation payout and social media rules; tables pay-adjustment policy

City of Bandera City Council members voted on several administrative measures during a regularly scheduled meeting, approving a change to bank signatories, adopting a vacation payout policy and approving a social-media policy (which the council asked be paired with formal procedures), while tabling a proposed employee compensation-adjustment policy.

The council also approved removal of raised pavement delineators at Main Street and Highway 173 and gave second reading and approval to a $60,000 reimbursement from the Bandera Economic Development Corporation for Cowboy Christmas in the Park.

Why it matters: The bundled administrative votes affect routine operations — who can sign city accounts, how employees are paid out for unused leave, how the city moderates content on its official social channels and what spending the EDC may reimburse for a downtown event. The discussion over the compensation-adjustment policy showed council caution about new ongoing personnel expenses.

The votes - Consent agenda (minutes from December 2024): Motion to approve carried with all members voting in favor. The motion and second were recorded by council members present. - Resolution 2025-003 (change bank signers for City of Bandera bank account): Council voted to remove a prior signer and add the mayor as an authorized signer; motion carried unanimously. - Resolution 2025-004 (vacation payout policy): After extended discussion focused on the marshal’s office staffing and safeguards against gaming the policy, council approved a policy that adds a 75% notification threshold and requires documentation and supervisor approval before payout eligibility. Motion carried unanimously. - Resolution 2025-005 (social-media policy): Council approved a social-media policy that allows removal of obscene, harassing or slanderous material from city-managed pages and requires that the policy and a written procedure for handling flagged posts be posted on city pages and the city website. The council amended the adoption to add a requirement that a written procedure be prepared and available; motion and amendment passed unanimously. - Resolution 2025-006 (employee compensation-adjustment policy): Council discussed a policy that would authorize the city administrator to give up to a 2% non‑salaried employee pay adjustment (with limits including a maximum of four employees per fiscal year), but members expressed concern about budget timing and limits. The council voted to table the item pending a report showing available funds and the exact remaining budget for merit pay. - Removal of raised pavement delineators at Main Street and Highway 173: After discussion about safety and traffic flow, council approved removal; motion passed unanimously. - Resolution 2024-041 (Bandera Economic Development Corporation reimbursement of $60,000 for Cowboy Christmas in the Park): The council completed the required second reading and approved the reimbursement to the city; motion passed unanimously.

What council debated - Vacation payout policy: Council members pressed for objective criteria and a documented form to justify payouts if supervisors approve exceptions. The change centers on a 240‑hour cap, a 75% notification threshold, supervisor documentation and a process to prevent employees from intentionally hoarding leave to trigger payouts. - Compensation-adjustment policy: Council members expressed concern about layering discretionary 2% adjustments on top of recently approved merit increases and asked the administrator to confirm that funds would come only from unspent merit-budget amounts; the item was tabled to provide more detailed budget numbers. - Social media policy: Debate focused on balancing free expression with protecting individuals and city employees from slander. Council insisted the policy be posted publicly, removal actions preserved as public records, and that a clear procedure designate who escalates a flagged post to the city administrator for final review.

Next steps and implementation notes - The city administrator will provide a budget breakdown showing available funds before the compensation-adjustment policy returns to council. - Staff will publish the social‑media policy and draft the written procedure for council review and post it on city pages. - The marshals’ office and city staff will coordinate removal of the raised pavement delineators with TxDOT and document the work plan.

Votes and formal actions are described from council proceedings and the meeting transcript; when the roll call read as “all in favor” the record shows the four members present voted yes and no individual no votes were recorded.