Sorry, you need to enable JavaScript to visit this website.
Article Image Alt Text
  • Article Image Alt Text

A VIEW FROM THE COUNCIL TABLE

Issues with way Woodcreek appointed city attorney

WOODCREEK CITY COUNCIL

(Editor’s Note: The views expressed by the writer are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of the city they serve.)

Woodcreek operates under a council-manager plan, giving each council member equal authority and granting no authority to our mayor to appoint, administrate or otherwise exercise power over council decisions. In fact, the Texas Municipal League calls the mayor in this type of government the ceremonial head and specifically calls out “ordinances of most council-manager cities also make it clear that decision-making is to be shared by the full council, and that the mayor is to be considered the same as any other member of the governing body for policy purposes.” Having watched in dismay as our mayor offered an autocratic pre-determination on our new city attorney, it struck me that something is not quite right. The full council wasn’t granted the privilege of reviewing RFQ responses, nor even informed there was a vacancy! Having reviewed the RFQ’s after the fact, and only after demanding the documentation, I find there were more highly qualified candidates. So, what’s going on here? And more still, isn’t this a democracy? As citizens, we must be prepared to insist that our democratic principles abide. And we must become involved to preserve them.

Wimberley View

P.O. Box 49
Wimberley, TX 78676
Phone: 512-847-2202
Fax: 512-847-9054