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Committee revises rule on council contact with staff after debate over 'firewall' and whistleblower protections
Summary
After debate about undue influence and staff protection, Lago Vista’s Charter Review Committee amended Section 3.06 to permit the mayor and council members to meet with and obtain information from city staff as needed to make informed decisions, while retaining language elsewhere to prevent individual council members from directing staff.
The Lago Vista Charter Review Committee amended its recommended language on council contact with city staff, adopting language that permits the mayor and council members to meet with and obtain information from city staff when needed for informed decisionmaking.
Committee members had spent considerable time debating whether individual council members should be limited to contacting only staff who report directly to the city manager, citing concerns that a single council member’s title could unduly influence employees. City staff and the interim city secretary raised concerns that unscheduled one‑on‑one contacts by council members could intimidate some employees and place them in difficult positions.
After discussion, the committee approved wording that gives the mayor and council members the right to meet with and obtain information from the city manager, city attorney, city secretary and "any city employee deemed necessary to make informed decisions regarding city business." Committee members clarified the change is intended to allow council members to gather information but not to direct or give orders to staff; the committee left other existing limits on council direction in place and asked staff to reconcile the new language with related charter provisions (including Section 3.23 and the newly adopted whistleblower clause) to avoid internal conflicts.
Mike Slaughter moved for the change and Jean Harris seconded; the committee adopted the amendment and an associated amendment language by voice vote with no opposing votes.
Committee members said the amendment was partly driven by practical needs — council members said they sometimes need direct access to staff to understand issues during the policy‑making process — but several members also reiterated the importance of preserving chain‑of‑command protections and ensuring staff are not subject to improper directions. The committee asked the city attorney to reconcile cross‑references in the charter and the city’s HR office to outline implementation guidance.
