Early voting begins April 25

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Pearsall has charter amendments on ballot

Pearsall voters will not only decide two council seats but consider four amendments to the Home Rule Charter in the upcoming municipal election.
Early voting begins on Monday, April 25, and runs through Tuesday, May 3. Election day is Saturday, May 7.
Records filed at City Hall indicate incumbents James Leal and Sonia Hernandez will not face challengers in the municipal election. Councilors Brenda Trevino and Julian Hernandez are both ineligible to seek re-election due to term limits, according to the city charter.
Ramiro Trevino is vying for Place 2 and will face challenger Brian Blackburn; the seat is currently held by Hernandez.
Rachel Garza and Aurora Garza are vying for Place 4, currently held by Trevino.
Amendment One will change the requirement to have the independent annual audit approved by council and ready for public inspection from 150 days to 180 days to conform with state law.
Texas Local Government Code, Chapter 103, Section 103.003(a) rules that the audit statement, including the auditor’s opinion, be filed in the office of the municipal secretary or clerk within 180 days of the last day of the municipality’s fiscal year.
In 2016, the charter was changed to read 150 days.
“The recommendation is that the city’s audit requirement comport with state law and not be more restrictive than legally required,” the amendment reads.
Section 1.03 of the Home Rule Charter addresses additional territory; Amendment Two would change the city’s annexation authority to comply with state law.
Currently, the city may annex additional territory lying adjacent to the city without the consent of the territory and the inhabitants of the territory annexed.
In 2019, the Texas Legislature passed House Bill 347 that eliminated unilateral or forced annexation in Texas.
The third amendment addresses Section 3.08 and 3.02 of the city charter and will require, if approved, that the mayor or any other member of the city council who announces or files for another elective office shall forfeit their office without any action required by council.
The final proposed amendment to the charter will allow those elected to serve a maximum of two three-year consecutive terms. If approved, it will affect those councilors elected this year, a change the city has not seen since May 1995.