Haslet council upholds ordinance reinstating city administrator post

The Haslet City Council on Monday denied reconsideration of Ordinance 016-2025 and confirmed the reinstatement of the office and job duties of a city administrator.

The action followed a public hearing in which residents both opposed and supported the move. Opponents, including several residents who said they had experience with prior city-administrator arrangements, urged the council to use the formal process to change the city's form of government rather than assign discretionary duties by ordinance. Supporters said a city administrator could accelerate road projects, improve coordination, and help the city manage growth.

The city attorney and council discussed state statutory limits on assigning certain discretionary duties. The mayor and the city attorney presented legal perspectives; one council motion included language noting the city attorney's advice about the statute and the limits on further reconsideration. After debate and an amendment tied to legal advice, the vote to deny reconsideration and uphold the ordinance was unanimous.

Council members said the ordinance will allow an administrative position to perform specified management tasks. The council did not, in this meeting, publish a final job description or announce a candidate; several residents asked why a full job description and salary had not been publicly provided earlier. Council members responded that the hiring process, job specifications and any compensation package would be addressed through normal personnel and hiring procedures and returned to council as appropriate.

The vote concludes the council's review of the ordinance on this agenda; as with other actions during the meeting, the council recorded the motion and subsequent unanimous vote.