City Hall Roundup: Charter Review Commission Submits 35 Amendments That Could Mean Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems
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Dallas voters could decide this November whether to double council member salaries to $125,000 per year, require that the Community Police Oversight director and Inspector General be appointed by the City Council, and delete the provision prohibiting the City Council from “interfering” with appointees and subordinates of the city manager.
In all, the council is reviewing 35 amendments proposed by the Charter Review Commission, some of which were not well-received by elected officials.
A charter review is required every 10 years. The 15-member CRC, chaired by attorney Allen Vaught, reviewed 125 proposed amendments and threw 78 out. Others were withdrawn by members of the public who submitted them.
View the CRC’s May 1 City Council presentation here and its 88-page report here.
“The Commission acknowledges that these recommendations must now be considered in a larger context and with additional perspective, expertise, and insight by those who may be expected to implement or work under these amended provisions but respectfully requests that you give them each due consideration, as they reflect conscientious effort and thoughtful deliberations of your appointees to the Commission, as well as constructive input from the public,” Vaught said in a letter to the City Council.
CRC Chair Allen Vaught Explains Charter Amendment Proposals
The 35 amendments were broken into three categories: technical, operational, and policy.
Under the technical category, proposals included clarification that, in addition to annual salaries, the mayor and council members may also receive benefits for elected officials as permitted by law.
Examples of operational amendments are proposals that boards and commissions can elect their own vice chairs and deleting the requirement that bids have to be opened in a public place.
Policy-related amendments included a proposal for “ranked-choice voting.” It’s not currently legal in Texas, so the CRC recommended adoption language with a trigger clause for implementation in Dallas once it is legalized in the state, Vaught said. Austin has a similar measure in place.
The council members’ annual salaries were proposed to increase from $60,000 to $125,000, with the mayor’s pay going from $80,000 to $140,000. If approved by voters in November, the pay raises would become effective at the 2025 inauguration.
“The commission feels that such a raise is necessary in order to ensure that the pool of candidates for city council is both deep and wide, advancing equitable opportunities for working-class people, parents, young people, and people who are not independently wealthy to serve Dallas,” Vaught said.
Council Response to Charter Amendments
Dallas City Council members have until mid-May to submit their own suggested amendments for review. Straw votes will be cast on May 15 and June 5. A November election must be called in August.
Director of Governmental Affairs Carrie Rogers suggested that the City Council adopt an ordinance on June 26 to call the election.
“Today you are simply receiving the Commission’s report and will have an opportunity to discuss the Commission’s recommendations and the charter review process,” Rogers said during the May 1 council briefing.
Several council members asked for additional information on how each of the amendments would affect the city budget.
District 6 Councilman Omar Narvaez expressed concern about the trigger language in the proposal about ranked-choice voting.
“As much as I personally believe in ranked-choice voting, I do not like and I am offended by triggers,” Narvaez said. “What if ranked-choice voting becomes permissible and … 100 years from now and things have changed and society does not want this?”
District 9 Councilwoman Paula Blackmon asked for clarification on how some amendment language appeared to conflict with the spirit of a city manager form of government. She also wanted more information on requirements for petitions in other cities.
District 7 Councilman Adam Bazaldua asked if some of the amendments could be addressed through the city code.
“We as a body need to be cognizant of voter fatigue and sending a slew of amendments that we’re going to lose voters on by the end,” he said.
Mayor Eric Johnson said Vaught and the CRC exceeded his expectations.
“I really appreciate you being willing to do this for your city,” he said. “Every hope that I had for how it would be handled, you met and exceeded.”
Watch the full briefing here.
