Rowlett council declares mayoral office vacant and approves ordinance changes and consent items

The Rowlett City Council voted unanimously Jan. 7 to remove Blake Margolis from the office of mayor and declared the mayoral seat vacant under the City of Rowlett home-rule charter. The same meeting approved a change to the city’s short-term rental permit rules and adopted consent-agenda items including a fiscal-year 2024 budget amendment and an information-technology services contract.

The action to remove the mayor came under Section 3.092 of the Rowlett City Charter. Council Member Bowers moved the removal and Council Member Shoop seconded; the motion carried on a unanimous vote of the remaining council members. Council members debated legal and policy questions before voting; several said the action complied with charter language and recent legal guidance, while others called it a legal loophole even if required by the charter. Council Member Britton said he consulted with the city attorney and that the decision followed statutory rules but expressed qualms about the charter’s punitive tone. Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Schinder…