Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Elections topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Bedford council weighs requiring signatures or filing fees to curb last-minute candidates
Summary
Councilmembers debated whether to put a charter amendment before voters that would require petition signatures or a modest filing fee for city-council candidates. Supporters said the change would deter frivolous, costly last-minute filings; opponents said it could discourage first-time or low-income candidates and injure democratic access.
Councilmember Farco on Tuesday proposed asking Bedford voters whether the city should require petition signatures or a filing fee for candidates for city council, saying recent last-minute filings cost the city time and money and did not reflect serious campaigns.
"It cost us over $20,000 to run that election," Farco said, recounting his concern about the administrative burden of contested races and urging the council to consider thresholds such as petition signatures or a refundable filing fee.
City attorney Michael Wells told the council the Texas Election Code allows charter provisions that require either a filing fee or a petition, but cautioned that a filing fee cannot be a revenue source and that the petition standard is the greater of 25 signatures or one-half of 1% of votes cast for mayor in the last mayoral election. Wells calculated that, under current turnout, Bedford’s threshold would be 25 signatures.
Council members and members of the public traded sharply different views. Resident Dorothy McQuarters urged the council to place the question on the ballot and let voters decide; public commenter Tycho Wright said he opposed signature or fee requirements because they could "discourage people like me from running." Several councilmembers warned that a fee or high signature threshold could create a barrier for first-time or low-income candidates.
Councilmembers who supported the idea cited neighboring cities’ approaches. Staff said other cities use a range of approaches — North Richland Hills has used a $150 fee and Haltom City a $50 fee — and that petition verification can be handled by city staff for small sets or contracted to Tarrant County for larger volumes.
No formal motion was made to call a charter election on the subject. Council members asked staff to research other cities’ practices, provide cost estimates and verification procedures, and return with options for possible inclusion on a future charter ballot. Mayor Cogan said he was wary of measures that would discourage participation: "We shouldn't be discouraging people from running accordingly," he said.
Next steps: staff will return with additional research and options; the council emphasized that any charter change would be placed before voters if formally called.
