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City staff outlines six proposed Lewisville charter amendments ahead of May election
Summary
City staff briefed the Planning and Zoning Commission on six proposed charter amendments that will appear on the May 2025 ballot, covering nonsubstantive corrections, ordinance reading rules, city secretary appointment, candidate petition requirements, Charter Review Commission size, and elected official compensation.
City planning staff on April 15 presented an overview of six proposed amendments to the Lewisville city charter that the City Council placed on the May 2025 ballot.
Staff explained the six propositions: (A) correct nonsubstantive errors (capitalization, punctuation and harmonization of conflicting sections); (B) allow ordinances to be passed at a single meeting without declaring an emergency and remove the three‑reading requirement; (C) shift appointment, removal and assignment authority for the city secretary from city council to the city manager while retaining charter‑specified duties; (D) require mayoral or council candidates to file a petition with a number of signatures set by state law (or the state’s alternative) and eliminate a separate loyalty affidavit; (E) expand the Charter Review Commission from five to seven members; and (F) change elected‑official compensation from $50 per meeting to fixed monthly amounts ($400 for mayor, $300 for council members).
Staff noted background: the charter was adopted in 1963, most recently amended in May 2021, and the Charter Review Commission must be appointed at least every five years. Staff also summarized comparative practices: 88% of a 17‑city comparison use a single reading for ordinances, 64% have the city manager supervise the city secretary, and none of the comparison cities require a “loyalty affidavit.”
Staff provided voting and early‑voting schedules for Denton and Dallas County voters and advised commissioners on election‑season conduct guidelines for appointed and elected officials. The presentation was informational; no formal commission action was required.
