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Farmers Branch sets timeline to reconvene charter review committee, council to submit nominees by July 7
Summary
Council members agreed in principle to reconvene a charter review committee and favored holding charter amendments in May 2027; staff outlined application deadlines, meeting cadence and an approximate cost if placed on a November 2026 ballot.
City staff outlined a proposed schedule to reconvene Farmers Branch’s charter review committee, and council members signaled a preference for placing proposed charter amendments on the May 2027 ballot, during a June 17 study session.
Aaron Flores, city secretary and deputy director of administrative services, presented the timeline and logistics. Flores said councilmembers and the mayor would submit nominees to the city manager by July 7; staff would present candidate slates for council deliberation on Aug. 5 and return an appointment slate for formal approval on Aug. 19. Council members were asked to identify specific charter topics for committee study when they submit nominees.
“The earliest that we could reconvene is November of 2026, or if we would like to have it on May of 2027 or May of 2028,” Flores said.
Council members discussed tradeoffs among the calendar options. Councilwoman Bennett Burton recommended May 2027 to allow the committee time to convene and deliberate and to avoid the extra cost of a standalone November election; Flores estimated the November option could cost around $30,000 depending on other ballot items and participating entities. Several council members supported leaving the committee empowered to choose its own chair after meeting together, subject to city charter constraints and attorney review.
Flores described the committee cadence and logistics: if appointed in August, the committee could begin meeting in September or early October and would likely meet twice a month, generally starting meetings between 6:00 and 6:30 p.m., with meetings recorded. Flores advised the council to submit nominees and topic lists promptly so staff could process applications, background checks and prepare the packet for the Aug. 5 study session.
Council direction included setting May 2027 as the preferred election date and asking council members to send two candidate names each by July 7. Councilmembers also asked staff to check whether the committee could choose its chair and to confirm the attorney’s availability for meetings.
No formal ordinance or charter amendment was adopted at the study session; the council set a timeline and instructed staff on next steps.
The council also discussed making sure the committee’s work is accessible to residents by scheduling meetings at times that encourage participation and ensuring appointed members can attend regularly.
