The Lago Vista Charter Review Committee on Nov. 5 approved minutes from its Oct. 15 meeting and resumed reviewing a National Civic League model charter, taking up elections, recalls, community outreach and proposals to alter the city charter’s preamble and ethics language.

The panel discussed whether to add a chartered board of ethics with authority to enforce financial-disclosure and conflict-of-interest rules and to consider broader ethical violations, and debated how much power such a board should have. Committee members also proposed defining a single term for when material is “published” (for example, posted on the city website and included in the council packet) so that notice rules elsewhere in the charter would be consistent. Members further discussed polling residents online about possible term limits and how to engage the public without leading responses.

Why it matters: changes to the charter’s preamble and an ethics board would affect how the city defines its governance goals and how allegations of misconduct — including complaints involving the police department — are investigated and handled.

Ethics board: scope and process
Committee members said the NCL model’s ethics language provides useful structure but is narrower than what several members favored. One committee member argued the board should “go beyond conflicts of interest and financial disclosure” to examine behavioral ethics and possible violations of the charter itself. Other members warned that a citizens’ ethics panel could be “weaponized” or lack the training to adjudicate complex law-enforcement matters.

The group discussed alternatives for handling serious police complaints, including routing investigations to an outside agency such as the county or the Texas Rangers; participants noted that very serious allegations already may go beyond local processes. The committee did not adopt final language but asked staff to research models and to add an agenda item for the next meeting to develop options.

Subpoena power and funding
Members debated whether an ethics board should have subpoena authority and noted that a board would require funding. One member suggested the charter could establish “guideposts” (for independence and scope) and leave details — including subpoena mechanics and budget — to council ordinance and the city budget process.

Preamble and charter wording
The committee proposed adding wording to the preamble to emphasize an “honest and accountable council–manager government.” Members worked through phrasing on the record and generally agreed the added language would clarify intent without replacing the city’s home-rule designation.

Notice and definitions
To reduce repeated drafting, members proposed defining a single term (for example, "Published") in the definitions section to mean city website posting and packet distribution; subsequent charter references could then use that defined term. Committee members asked staff to review where official notice language appears and to ensure the definition would not conflict with state legal notice requirements.

Ranked-choice voting and other technical items
The group flagged a pending legal question about whether ranked-choice voting is permissible under Texas home-rule law; a committee member said Councilor Prince would ask the city attorney for a follow-up legal opinion. The committee also checked recall and initiative timing and generally found comparable limits in the city’s current charter language.

Public engagement and polling
Members discussed using the city’s discussion board and social media to seek community feedback on potential charter changes — for example, asking nonleading questions about term-limit options and posting related materials for review before any ballot language is finalized.

Votes at a glance
- Approval: Minutes from the Oct. 15 Charter Review Committee meeting — motion and second recorded; unanimous voice approval by members present (committee membership and attendees confirmed at the start of the meeting). Outcome: approved.

Next steps
The committee asked staff to research ethics-board models, subpoena options and comparable charter language, and to place those matters on the next agenda. Members also expect the city attorney to report back on the legality of ranked-choice voting under local home-rule law.

Quote
Charles West, city manager and staff liaison, when asked for his view on preamble wording said, “No. I like the way I’ve heard it.”

Ending
The committee agreed to adjourn early to ensure broader member participation at the next session; the chair set the next meeting and asked staff to prepare materials that reflect the discussion points noted above.