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Pecos City Council tables charter amendment on council pay, seeks more data
Summary
Council members debated placing a charter amendment on the November ballot to change council compensation and to reauthorize a street-maintenance sales tax; after extended discussion they voted to table the measure until a special meeting Monday to gather comparative data and consider moving the measure to May.
Pecos City Council members voted to table until a special meeting on Monday a proposal to call a November election that would reauthorize a 3/8-cent sales-and-use tax for street maintenance and place a charter amendment on the ballot to change council compensation.
The council’s discussion, during the agenda item calling an election, centered on whether to hold the vote Nov. 4 or postpone to the May election to allow fuller charter revisions and public outreach. City Manager Charles Leno recommended postponing to May so staff could prepare comprehensive charter updates; other council members said the Nov. 4 deadline (the last day to call the election was noted as Aug. 18) forced a faster schedule.
Why it matters: The charter amendment would change council remuneration and how those amounts could be set in the future. Council members said the issue affects recruitment and the time commitment required for increasing intergovernmental work the city now undertakes.
During the discussion council members also requested comparative data showing compensation in municipalities of similar size and governance form, benefits included with pay, and how a compensation change would fit the city budget. Several council members said they wanted clear, specific comparisons and for the public to see the rationale before a vote.
Councilman Saldania moved to table the item until Monday; Councilman Graham seconded. The motion passed by voice vote (ayes). No formal amendment to the charter or tax proposition was adopted at the meeting.
Discussion-only points included: whether to include a compensation range or an ordinance mechanism to let council set pay within charter limits; concern about triggering repeated charter amendments if the council must change the compensation later; and whether a May election would reduce the need for a second election. A number of council members emphasized that the role has expanded, citing additional travel and intergovernmental meetings in Austin and Washington, D.C.
Next steps: Council instructed staff to prepare comparative compensation data (population, governance form, benefits) and to schedule a special meeting Monday so all council members can participate.
