Willow Park commission pitches home rule charter that would add council seat, extend terms and create ethics board

The Willow Park home rule charter commission outlined a draft on Nov. 5 that would change how the city governs by increasing the size of the council, lengthening terms and adding citizen-facing accountability mechanisms, the commission chairman said.

"It gives the citizens rights on controlling that government," the chairman said, describing the central purpose of converting from a general-law to a home-rule city. He told attendees the commission is targeting a Dec. 9 presentation of the completed charter to the City Council and, if the schedule holds, a May 2026 ballot date for voters to decide.

Why it matters: Under state general-law rules, state statute sets what a small city government may do; a home rule charter can embed specific citizen rights and local procedures that are otherwise not defined at the local level. The commission argues the change would provide residents formal tools such as initiative, referendum and recall to hold local government to account.

Key provisions in the draft: Commissioners described several substantive changes. The draft would increase council membership from five to six seats and extend council terms from two years to three, which the commission said would provide time for newly elected members to learn their roles. The draft would also give the mayor a vote on all council actions rather than limiting the mayor to breaking ties. Commissioners said they also included a requirement to publish performance criteria for the city manager and to require the council to adopt an ethics policy; the charter mandates that the council establish an independent board of ethics by ordinance.

On the municipal court: During public comment, Carol Wagner read language from the draft that "there is hereby created the municipal court of record in the city of Willow Park," and asked whether that status would increase ongoing administrative costs. The chairman responded that Willow Park already operates a municipal court and said the commission would seek more detailed information about any net increase in staffing or costs before the council presentation.

Petition and amendment mechanics: The commission explained the initiative/referendum/recall rules in Article 6. The draft ties petition thresholds to turnout and registration: the "lesser of 30% of those who voted in the most recent general municipal election or 10% of registered voters," the chairman said. Using turnout figures discussed at the meeting, commissioners calculated a working example that would require roughly 229 signatures to move a petition to council review.

Next steps: The commission has scheduled a follow-up meeting on Nov. 19 to incorporate comments and expects a legal consistency review by city-attorney staff immediately afterward. Commissioners said they will continue public outreach, post the draft on the city website (the document prints to about 35 pages) and hold additional town halls before the May 2026 ballot.

The meeting closed with an invitation for residents to attend future commission meetings and to submit questions or comments via the commissions posted email link; commissioners reminded residents the council will later define the specific ordinances and the structure of an ethics board if the charter is adopted.