The Levelland City Council was provided multiple updates and has approved a resolution for the City of Levelland Uniform General Election.
A brief meeting, Levelland Assistant City Manager Joe Cavazos spearheaded the meeting as City Manager James Fisher has been dealing with an illness. Also absent from the Monday meeting was Councilman Jim Myatt.
Cavazos began the meeting by informing the public that the Texas Department of Agriculture has removed all traps at the end of November due to zero counts in the traps for November. The city was notified of the decision at the end of December are currently looking for future options for further monitoring.
“The cold weather is helping, but once it warms up I am sure numbers will reappear and we need to be ready for this,” said Cavazos.
Councilwoman and Mayor Pro-Tem Breann Buxkemper also added that the group is petitioning TDA to bring back the traps.
“I understand that the numbers have been light, but I want the traps back,” said Buxkemper. “We don’t have direct control over the traps, but we are not going to lie down and let it happen. It is very frustrating.”
Moving forward, Cavazos provided an update regarding the possible ordinance dealing with the agricultural storage commodities. He explained that the city received comments and draft from both Penny Newman and ADM at the end of December.
The city will be reviewing the documents and comments and are hopeful a draft will be presented by the next council meeting. City Attorney Matt Wade provided additional comments explaining that he has had phone conversations with ADM attorney’s and combed through their submitted draft. Wade explained to council that there are things that were already marked through as the city can simply not do certain things within the draft received.
“I know it is a slower process, but once you get all the interested parties involved it does take a little bit longer as everyone wants to provide their input,” said Wade.
As the meeting progressed, City Secretary Andrea Corley presented the basic information regarding Resolution No. 2024-01 to order and establish procedure for the May 4, City of Levelland Uniform General Election.
The general election calls for the election of mayor, council member for District A and council member District C.
Any citizen considering running for office can pick up a candidate packet from the office of the city secretary starting January 4, 2024. This packet contains all necessary forms needed to apply as a candidate, as well as information on campaign finance reporting, advertising and information on the city charter as it relates to city council members.
The candidate forms supplied in the packet are also available on the Texas Secretary of State and the Texas Ethics Commission website.
Potential candidates for the position of Mayor, Council District A and Council District C will be able to submit an application for a place on the ballot starting at 8 a.m. on January 17, 2024, and until 5 p.m. on February 16, 2024. Those applications need to be submitted to the city secretary.
The council seats are specific to the district that will be represented. In order to apply for a place on the ballot, potential candidates must provide proof that he or she is a resident of and registered voter in the district being represented. In addition, only those citizens who are registered in the specific district can vote in the election.
Council members are elected for a two-year term, so voters have an election for city council in their district every other year. Districts A and C elections are held in even numbered years and Districts B and D are held in odd numbered years. The position of Mayor is up for election every three years.
For further information, contact Andréa Corley at 806894-0113.
According to the city charter, any qualified voter who resides within the City of Levelland, who is a citizen of the United States, and who meets the eligibility requirements of the laws of Texas shall have the right to seek election to the office of council member or mayor.
In addition, persons seeking election to the council member positions for District A, B, C, or D shall have resided within that District for six months prior to the first day on which candidates may submit an application to be placed on the ballot for election.
Persons seeking election to the office of Mayor may have resided within the corporate limits of the City of Levelland for six months prior to the first day on which candidates may submit an application to be placed on the ballot for election.
Each candidate seeking election to the office of mayor or councilmember shall submit a written application on a form available from the City Secretary, which shall be submitted to the City Secretary not later than 5 p.m. on the 45 day before election day, and not earlier than the 30 day before the filing deadline.
The Mayor shall be elected at large, and all registered voters of the City of Levelland shall be entitled to vote in elections for this office.
The boundaries of Districts A, B, C, and D shall be as they have existed since February 27, 1985, except that as soon as practicable after each federal census, the city shall by resolution make such adjustments in the boundaries of each District as are necessary to insure that each district has approximately equal population and insure that the population of at least one district is predominantly composed of persons belonging to minority racial and ethnic groups.
In the event a vacancy should exist in the office of mayor or any one or more council members, the city council shall conduct a special election to fill such vacancy or vacancies for the remainder of its or their unexpired term. However, no special election need be called if there is not sufficient time remaining on the term of the vacated office to permit its filling by special election prior to the next regular election for that office.
The mayor shall receive a salary in an amount to be fixed by the city council, but in no event be more than $50 per month or less than $25 per month.
Each council member shall receive the sum of $5.00 for each meeting of the council attended by him or her, provided that no council member shall receive a greater compensation than $25 per month.
The Mayor of the City of Levelland shall preside over the meetings of the city council and perform such other duties consistent with the office as may be imposed upon him or her by the charter and ordinances and resolutions passed in pursuance thereof.
The mayor may participate in the discussion of all matters coming before the council, but shall be entitled to a vote as a member thereof only when necessary to break a tie vote of the council, and shall have no veto power. The mayor shall sign all contracts and conveyances made or entered into by the city and all bonds issued under the provisions of this charter, and shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the City.
The mayor shall be recognized as the official head of the city by the courts for the purpose of serving civil process, by the government for the purpose of enforcing military law and for all ceremonial purposes.
In times of danger or emergency, the mayor may, with the consent of the city council, take command of the police and govern the city by proclamation and maintain order and enforce all laws.
The city council shall have all powers necessary and incident to the proper discharge of the duties imposed upon it and is hereby vested with all power necessary to carry out the terms and provisions of the charter; it being intended that the city council and mayor shall have and exercise all powers that may hereafter be granted to municipalities by the Constitution or laws of the State of Texas, and all powers enumerated by the charter or implied thereby.
All powers of the city and the determination of all matters of policy shall be vested in the city council. The city council shall, through the city manager, exercise overall supervision of the municipal government. It shall, by majority vote, appoint the municipal court judge, city manager, tax assessor-collector, and city attorney, each of whom shall serve at its pleasure.
The chief of police and city secretary shall be appointed by the city manager and these appointments shall be confirmed by a majority vote of the city council.
Neither the city council nor any of its members shall in any manner control or demand the appointment or removal of any administrative officer or employee whom the city manager or any subordinate of the city manager is empowered to appoint.
The compensation of all appointive officers and employees shall be fixed by the city council, who may increase or diminish such compensation at will or abolish any appointive office entirely at any time. The city council shall hold at least one regular meeting in each month at a time fixed by it for such regular meetings, and may hold as many additional meetings during the month as may be necessary for the transaction of the business of the city and its citizens.