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Liberty Hill staff outline home-rule implementation plan, codification and public education efforts
Summary
City staff told the council the transition from general-law to a city-manager home-rule charter is under way, with ordinances, new boards and a public education campaign planned as staff codifies the approved charter.
Liberty Hill officials offered a progress update Jan. 8 on implementing the home-rule charter voters approved, saying staff will codify the charter into the city code, draft ordinance changes, form new boards and launch public outreach over the coming months.
City staff described the change from a mayor-led general-law structure to a city-manager form of government as largely shifting operational responsibilities to the city manager’s office and said several ordinances and administrative documents will need updates.
City Attorney and staff presented the council with a summary of next steps: review and amend ordinances to reflect the city-manager model; create or revise boards such as a Board of Adjustment and a Board of Ethics; update the unified development code (UDC); and have Flint & Franklin (the city’s codification vendor) insert the adopted charter into the municipal code. Staff said a transition committee — two council members plus staff — is meeting to coordinate items that must be completed before the new structure is fully in place.
“Everything kind of funnels to the city manager at this point,” a staff presenter said during the briefing, describing how authorities that were previously exercised by elected officials will move to an appointed city manager under the charter.
Staff also told the council it will run a public-education campaign that may include open houses, a frequently asked questions page on the city website, and regular agenda updates so residents can track the transition. Staff estimated residents will see some of the changes within about six months and said the city intends to provide recurring updates at council meetings.
Councilmembers asked staff to be consistent in official organizational documents as the transition proceeds and requested regular, transparent reporting on progress. The council did not take formal action on the update; staff said they will return with specific ordinance language and timelines for future meetings.
The discussion was framed as an administrative implementation update; no regulatory or code changes were adopted at the Jan. 8 meeting.
