[ Call to Order]
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I'LL BE COMING DOWN TO GIVE THE OPENING PRAYER.
HEAVENLY FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO GATHER HERE THIS EVENING AND THE SER IN SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
WE ASK FOR YOUR PRESENCE TO GUIDE THIS COUNCIL, OUR STAFF, AND ALL THE PARTICIPANTS IN THIS MEETING GRANT US WINS WISDOM, CLARITY, AND DISCERNMENT AS WE CARRY OUT THE ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES BEFORE US.
AS WE CANVAS THE VOTES OF THE SPECIAL ELECTION, WE ASK THAT THIS PROCESS BE CONDUCTED WITH INTEGRITY, TRANSPARENCY, AND FAIRNESS, HONORING THE VOICES OF THE CITIZENS WE SERVE.
PLEASE HELP US TO APPROACH EACH DECISION WITH HUMILITY, RESPECT, AND A COMMITMENT TO THE COMMON GOOD.
BLESS THE CITY OF SHIRTS, ITS RESIDENTS AND ITS LEADERS.
MAY OUR ACTIONS TONIGHT REFLECT UNITY, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND DEDICATION TO PUBLIC SERVICE.
WE ASK THESE THINGS IN YOUR MIGHTY NAME, AMEN.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, NATION, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE.
WILL, LIBERTY AND JUSTICE, HONOR, HONOR THE TEXAS FLAG? I PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE TEXAS ONE STATE UNDER GOD AND ONE AND INDIVISIBLE.
[ Hearing of Residents This time is set aside for any person who wishes to address the City Council. Each person should fill out the speaker’s register prior to the meeting. Presentations should be limited to no more than 3 minutes. All remarks shall be addressed to the Council as a body, and not to any individual member thereof. Any person making personal, impertinent, or slanderous remarks while addressing the Council may be requested to leave the meeting. All handouts and/or USB devices must be submitted to the City Secretary no later than noon on the Monday preceding the meeting. Handouts will be provided to each Councilmember prior to the start of the meeting by the City Secretary. All USB devices will be vetted by City IT staff to ensure City property is protected from malware. Discussion by the Council of any item not on the agenda shall be limited to statements of specific factual information given in response to any inquiry, a recitation of existing policy in response to an inquiry, and/or a proposal to place the item on a future agenda. The presiding officer, during the Hearing of Residents portion of the agenda, will call on those persons who have signed up to speak in the order they have registered.]
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND START WITH HEARING OF THE RESIDENTS.AND TONIGHT WE HAVE ONE RESIDENT THAT WOULD LIKE TO COME UP AND SPEAK.
SO THIS TIME IS SET ASIDE FOR ANY PERSON WHO WISHES TO ADDRESS CITY COUNCIL.
EACH PERSON SHOULD FILL OUT THE SPEAKER REGISTRATION PRIOR TO THE MEETING.
PRESENTATION SHOULD BE LIMITED TO NO MORE THAN THREE MINUTES.
ALL REMARKS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO THE COUNCIL AS A BODY AND NOT TO ANY ONE INDIVIDUAL MEMBER THEREOF.
AT THIS TIME, I'LL GO AHEAD AND CALL UP, UH, BILLY LANIS.
WHEN YOU COME UP, IF YOU CAN PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND SH AND YOUR ADDRESS PLEASE.
GOOD EVENING, MS. DE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBER.
I RESIDE IN JONAS WOODS CHURCH, TEXAS 7 8 1 5 4.
I STAND BEFORE YOU TONIGHT TO ADDRESS A VERY SERIOUS MATTER CONCERNING THE WELFARE OF THE CITY OF SHIRTZ.
WE NOW HAVE A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER WHO HAS DECIDED TO RUN FOR THE COUNTY COMMISSIONER.
THE APPLICATION WAS FILED, QUALIFICATIONS MET, AND THEREFORE ACCEPTED.
THE APPLICANT'S NAME HAS BEEN POSTED TO APPEAR ON THE BALLOT FOR THE NEXT ELECTION.
TEXAS LAW STATES THAT A COUNCIL MEMBER IS REQUIRED TO VACATE THIS POSITION WHEN RUNNING FOR COUNTY COMMISSIONER WITHIN THE SAME COUNTY.
CITY OF CHURCH IS IN AGREEMENT WITH THE STATE AND HAS WHAT'S CALLED A RESIGN TO TO RUN RULE IN EFFECT, RESIGNED TO RUN MEANS ONE MUST RESIGN THE CITY COUNCIL POSITION IN ORDER TO RUN FOR COUNTY COMMISSIONER.
WHY? BECAUSE SPECIFICALLY THE POSITIONS CREATE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST AND ARE FOUND TO BE INCOMPATIBLE, TO BE MORE SPECIFIC.
THINGS CAN BE DONE AT THE CITY LEVEL TO SET IN MOTION, THINGS TO TAKE PLACE IN THE FUTURE AT THE COUNTY LEVEL TO ALLOW EVEN THE HINT OF THE VERY IDEA OF THIS WOULD JEOPARDIZE EACH ONE OF YOU AS WELL AS THE CITY AND ITS RESIDENTS
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IN THE FUTURE.IT IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF ALL TO ELIMINATE THIS POSSIBILITY.
THE TRUE AND JUST REMEDY FOR THIS SITUATION IS FOR THE COUNCIL MEMBER TO RESIGN.
CITY ALSO HAS THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN AUTOMATICALLY.
SINCE THERE ARE MORE THAN 300 DAYS LEFT IN THE TERM, THE HOLD OVER RULE ALSO CANNOT HAPPEN BECAUSE IT WOULD CREATE THE VERY SITUATION THAT NEEDS TO BE STOPPED, WHICH IS SITTING ON THE CITY COUNCIL WHILE RUNNING FOR COUNTY COMMISSIONER, THIS IS NOT PERMISSIBLE.
THESE THINGS NEED TO HAPPEN TO PROTECT NOT ONLY THE CITY, BUT ALSO THE CANDIDATE RUNNING FOR COUNTY COMMISSIONER.
THEREFORE, THE COUNCIL SEAT NEEDS TO BE VACATED AND HANDLED ACCORDING TO CITY GUIDELINES.
THIS COUNCIL MEMBER SHOULD HAVE NO FURTHER DEALINGS WITH THE CITY AT ALL IN ANY OFFICIAL MANNER WHATSOEVER.
THE CITY WILL STILL HAVE FIVE MEMBERS, FOUR MEMBERS CONSTITUTE A QUORUM, AND SOON THERE WILL BE SIX AS THERE ARE NOW WHEN THE SPECIAL ELECTION FOR SEAT SEVEN IS FINALIZED.
THE TEXAS CONSTITUTION ARTICLE 11, SECTION 11, ARTICLE 16 SECTIONS 1740 AND 65.
SPEAK TO EVERYTHING I HAVE STATED.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER RESIDENTS WISHING TO SPEAK.
[1. Resolution 25-R-161-Approving the canvassing of the election returns and declaring the results of the December 20, 2025, Special Election for Place 7(Mayor/S.Edmondson)]
NONE.WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS. WE HAVE RESOLUTION 25 R 1 61 APPROVING THE CANVASSING OF THE ELECTION RETURNS AND DECLARING THE RESULTS OF THE DECEMBER 20TH, 2025 SPECIAL ELECTION FOR PLACE.
UH, AT THIS TIME I'M GONNA ASK, UH, MS. SHEILA EDMONDSON TO SPEAK AND I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND LET HER SPEAK FROM HER DESK DUE TO HER HAVING RECENT SURGERY.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, COUNCIL AND STAFF.
TONIGHT I BRING FORWARD RESOLUTION 25 R 1 61.
A RESOLUTION TO CANVAS IS DECEMBER 20TH, 2025, SPECIAL ELECTION FOR COUNCIL PLACE.
UM, I'M GONNA GO OVER THE VOTES THAT WERE CAST FOR EACH CANDIDATE.
UM, FIRST ON THE BALLOT WAS MR. JOHN D CARBON.
MR. DAN SWART RECEIVED 55 VOTES.
MR. TONY DIAZ RECEIVED 121 VOTES.
ROBERT L SHERIDAN, THE THIRD RECEIVED 166 VOTES.
KATHY, EXCUSE ME, CHRISTIE BARGER RECEIVED 108 VOTES.
THE TOTAL VOTES CAST DURING THE EARLY VOTING PERIOD WAS 336 VIA PERSONAL APPEARANCE AND ABSENTEE 188 VOTES WERE CAST ON ELECTION DAY.
THE TOTAL NUMBER OF VOTES CAST IN THIS ELECTION WAS 624 VOTES.
IF THE CANVAS AND TABULATIONS OF THE VOTES CAST AT THE DECEMBER 20TH, 2025 SPECIAL ELECTION REFLECT THAT NO CANDIDATE OR COUNCIL MEMBER PLACED SEVEN RECEIVE SUFFICIENT VOTES TO BE ELECTED TO CITY COUNCIL, IT IS NECESSARY IN CONFORMITY WITH THE CITY CHARTER AND THE TEXAS ELECTION CODE AS AMENDED TO CALL FOR A RUNOFF ELECTION.
FOR THE PURPOSE TO FILL THE UNEXPIRED TERM OF THE COUNCIL MEMBER.
PLACE SEVEN, IN ANTICIPATION OF A POSSIBLE RUNOFF ELECTION, I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE TEXAS STATE SOS ELECTIONS AND GUADALUPE COUNTY ELECTIONS OFFICE FOR A RUNOFF ELECTION FOR PLACE SEVEN.
AND I'LL BRING FORWARD A RESOLUTION FOR COUNCIL TO ORDER THAT RUNOFF AT THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING.
DO WE HAVE ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, SEEKING ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE CANVAS OF THE VOTES? I'LL MAKE THE MOTION SECOND.
WE HAVE A MOTION BY, UH, UH, CO COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, UH, PAUL MACALUSO, AND THEN A SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER WATSON.
UH, CAN GO AHEAD AND CASH YOUR VOTES.
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MOTION PASSES.HAVING IT BEING THE ONLY, UH, ITEM FOR DISCUSSION, UH, THIS WILL GO AHEAD AND END.
UH, TONIGHT'S SPECIAL MEETING.