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Council forwards package of charter revisions to voters, including bid requirement for solid waste
Summary
The Rockwall City Council reviewed multiple proposed charter changes and voted to send several items — including a mayoral majority threshold, a municipal-only resign-to-run rule and a charter requirement to competitively bid solid-waste contracts every five years — to the ballot or for later action.
The Rockwall City Council spent significant time Monday reviewing proposed charter amendments and approved a number of measures for placement on a future ballot or for council action. City Attorney Frank Garza walked the council through technical revisions and more substantive proposals and the council voted on each provision individually.
Council approved all technical revisions (to bring the charter into compliance with state law) unanimously. On elections, the council voted 5–2 to change the mayor and council contests from a plurality to a majority requirement, which would generally require a runoff when no candidate receives more than 50 percent. Council members who supported the change cited size of the city and alignment with practices in comparable home-rule cities; those opposed cited added election costs and lower turnout risk for runoffs.
The council approved language limiting the resign‑to‑run/resign-on-candidacy rule to municipal offices only; under that motion, a sitting council member who campaigns for another municipal office would vacate the council seat once the other municipal office is canvassed. Council members discussed the implications and asked staff for clarity on state constitutional provisions that apply to resign-to-run rules.
On term limits, the council rejected a proposal from the Charter Commission that would have increased allowable consecutive terms for some offices (the council voted to reject that proposal; the transcript records the roll‑call names for the motion to reject). Several council members emphasized respect for the Charter Commission’s work but ultimately voted to keep the current term limits in place.
One mayoral recommendation that would have required council confirmation of all department directors was withdrawn after council feedback; the mayor stated he would withdraw the recommendation rather than pursue it to the ballot.
The council unanimously approved a mayoral proposal to require the city to competitively bid its solid-waste contract at least every five years and to require council approval of such contracts. City Attorney Garza explained the change would close a state-law procurement exemption for public-health contracts by placing the requirement in the local charter. Council members supporting the measure emphasized transparency and constituent concern over earlier contracting decisions.
Council also approved language requiring the council to appoint a charter review commission at least every 10 years, extended the city secretary’s petition verification period from 21 to 30 calendar days, and added provisions allowing the council by ordinance to implement technical charter revisions (non-substantive) without a special election. Garza said a full charter ordinance will be prepared for council consideration in January and that voters will decide any substantive charter changes in the proposed May 2, 2026 charter amendment election.
The package of actions reflects both deference to the Charter Commission’s work and council discretion; several items were adopted unanimously while others drew split votes.
