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Council directs staff and city attorney to draft ordinance on candidate fees, indebtedness and disciplinary procedures
Summary
Council voted to direct the administration and city attorney to draft an ordinance establishing candidate application fees or petition alternatives, procedures for removing elected officials indebted to the city, and vacancy-filling rules; city attorney warned some changes may require a charter amendment or be governed by state law.
Socorro City — The City Council voted to direct the administration and city attorney to draft ordinance language that would make persons indebted to the city ineligible to hold public office, require a sworn application and payment of an application fee to run for elective office (with a petition alternative), and establish procedures for disciplinary removal of elected officials and filling council vacancies.
A councilmember introduced the agenda item noting gaps in current municipal language and proposing a fee for future candidates to cover administrative costs, with petition signatures as an alternative to paying the fee. The item passed on motion and second.
City Attorney Jim Martini told the council that portions of the proposal may already be controlled by state law or the city charter. He said the charter currently disqualifies an elected official who is in arrears to the city "at the time of filing," and that changing the relevant timing (for example, to the time of swearing-in) might require a charter amendment, which would in turn require a city election. Martini said other matters could be constrained by the Texas Government Code and the Texas Election Code and that staff would research legal options, Attorney General opinions and comparative charter language from other Texas cities.
Several councilmembers and speakers urged a clear, unbiased rubric for disciplinary actions to ensure consistent application. A member of the public and other speakers suggested placing such rules in the charter to make them harder to change in the future; one public commenter cited El Paso’s candidate filing fees ($250 for council, $500 for mayor) as a reference point. Martini told the council his office would research and bring back options for consideration; the council asked staff to return with draft ordinance language and any required next steps (including whether a charter amendment would be necessary).
Council approved the direction; council and staff said they will draft specific ordinance language and return for further action and possible placement on a future election ballot if a charter amendment is required.
