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Bulverde council workshop debates charter changes on emergency spending, council size and "advise and consent" for hires
Summary
City of Bulverde council members spent the bulk of a special workshop session discussing proposed charter amendments that would raise the city manager's emergency spending authority, define council's role in senior hiring and removals, and clarify the vote threshold to remove a city manager.
City of Bulverde council members spent the bulk of a special workshop session discussing proposed charter amendments that would raise the city manager's emergency spending authority, define how council members may advise and consent on senior hires and removals, and clarify what constitutes a supermajority for personnel actions.
The discussion opened with legal questions about the dollar limit the charter currently assigns for emergency purchases. "There's a limit in state law," said Mr. West, legal counsel, noting that the prior maximum had been $25,000 and had been raised in a later statute to $50,000. "That's the maximum state law would allow you to do," he said, and council members debated whether to reference the maximum allowed by state law in the charter or to set a fixed number in the budget ordinance.
Why it matters: council members said the city's growth increases the likelihood of weather- and infrastructure-related emergencies that could require larger, faster expenditures than the historic limit permits. Several members said they want the council to be able to avoid repeatedly amending the charter or waiting for formal meetings when quick action is needed.
Council members also spent extended time on the charter's "advise and consent" language, which gives council a role in employment matters for specified positions. Several members said the current text does not define a process for how council offers advice or how the city manager should respond. "There is no process defined about what advising consent looks like," one council member said, adding that the absence of a clear procedure has contributed to frustration when department leadership or services fall short.
City Manager Charles (city manager) said he supports a written process and recommended that council supply written expectations before asking staff to respond. "If you put it in writing, it protects you and it protects us," he said, urging clear, documented performance expectations and job descriptions that staff and council can rely on.
Council members discussed whether thresholds for removal of the city manager should use a specific number (the charter currently references five votes of seven) or a percentage such as two-thirds. Several speakers said that if the council expands the number of seats, a fixed number could unintentionally lower the threshold from a supermajority to a simple majority unless the charter language is updated simultaneously.
No formal amendment was adopted at the workshop. Members directed legal counsel to draft clarifying language and to advise whether the council can achieve some changes by ordinance or policy rather than by a charter amendment. They also asked staff to consolidate council questions in writing for the city's attorneys to review ahead of the next meeting.
Ending: Council members agreed to continue the discussion at an upcoming meeting and to send a consolidated list of questions and requested clarifications to legal staff. The group noted the city could be tied to charter changes for two years if amendments are placed on the ballot, so members urged careful wording and legal review before finalizing any amendment language.
