By Robert Taylor
Boerne City Council voted to approve four proposed amendments to the City Charter at its Jan. 14, 2025, meeting. Residents will see the four amendments on the ballot in a Special Election to be held in conjunction with the General Election on May 3, 2025.
The proposed amendments are the result of the Charter Review Commission’s work to examine the City Charter, the governing document that outlines how the City of Boerne operates. The commission met on four occasions starting in late October with a focus on Sections 3 and 4.
“I appreciate everyone who helped with this charter review, especially the citizens commission, for their efforts these last couple of months,” Mayor Frank Ritchie said.
Approved Amendments
The four amendments approved by City Council are listed below.
Measure A – Section 3.02
Measure A, if approved by voters, would increase the terms of office for councilmembers and the mayor from two years to three years effective at the next regularly scheduled municipal election in May 2026. This measure would also establish staggered terms so that no more than one-third of the council seats are up for election on any given year.
This would be done to provide continuity of programs and more productive service by allowing councilmembers more time for education and transition into their elected roles.
Measure B – Section 3.04
Measure B, if approved by voters, would amend the language in Section 3.04 of the charter, which currently reads:
- “The City Council is the final judge of all elections and the qualifications of its members, and of any other elected officials of the City.”
This measure would remove the unnecessary language “and of any other elected officials of the City” from that sentence, as there are no election positions aside from City Council. The new sentence would read:
- “The City Council is the final judge of all elections and the qualifications of its members.”
Measure C – Section 3.08 C
Measure C, if approved by voters, would change the method of filling City Council vacancies to comply with State Law for cities with three-year terms instead of two-year terms.
Measure D – Section 10.07a
Measure D, if approved by voters, would require review of the City Charter at least every ten years. There is currently no requirement for regular review.
Charter History
The charter was first adopted in 1995 and has only been amended twice since then. The first amendment was approved by voters in 2012 to change from at-large to single-member voting districts for council and mayor.
The next charter review took place in 2020 and marked the first thorough review of the charter since its adoption in 1995. A total of 13 charter amendments were presented to voters with 12 of them being adopted.
The only amendment to not be approved by voters on the 2020 ballot was an extension of the terms for councilmembers and the mayor from two to three years. The vote for this amendment was 4,003 in favor and 4,679 against.
Timeline for Special Election
Below is a timeline of the City Charter review process through Election Day:
- October-December 2024 – Charter Review Commission meets four times to discuss potential amendments to City Charter
- Jan. 14, 2025 – City Council approves four proposed amendments to City Charter
- Jan. 30, 2025 – City Council formally calls for Special Election for City Charter amendments
- May 3, 2025 – Election Day
