Council directs staff to prepare budget amendment language after dispute over travel stipends and Northeast Partnership membership

Councilmembers debated the process by which council travel and membership funds are managed and the recent removal of stipend funds for some council members. After a lengthy discussion the council directed Interim City Manager Lanny Lambert to prepare a formal budget amendment for consideration at a future meeting.

Councilmember Stephanie Gonzales and others questioned whether the removal of stipend funds had an ordinance or written precedent. Several councilmembers said the amounts were reflected in the prior year’s approved budget but were not spelled out in a municipal ordinance or charter provision. City Attorney Phoenix Sarambula and other participants noted the question of procedure and due process; council counsel referenced Local Government Code 54.001 in the discussion and said municipalities must follow clear procedures and notice when an action affects pay or penalties.

Councilmembers discussed past informal practices: whether travel allocations were assigned per councilmember, the historical budgeting of $2,000 per member, and earlier adjustments that reduced amounts (one speaker said the allocation had been reduced from $7,000 to $4,000 at budget ratification). At one point the city manager confirmed the cost to join one training/association (TML or Northeast Partnership) at roughly $2,700 per membership; the city manager said he would prepare a budget amendment and place it under the councilmember requestor’s name for the next meeting.

Council also raised conflict-of-interest considerations: the city attorney reminded members that councilmembers who would directly benefit from an increase should consider recusal on any vote that creates a financial benefit for them. No formal amendment was approved during the May 20 meeting; the direction from the council was procedural — to prepare a specific amendment and return it for consideration so the council can vote with full documentation.

The discussion covered three distinct topics: (1) process and written authority for stipend/deduction actions; (2) whether membership or travel amounts should be explicitly listed in the annual budget and tied to line items; and (3) whether to cover Northeast Partnership membership costs in a separate budget amendment. Lambert said he would prepare the proposed amendment for the next meeting and include cost estimates.