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October 30, 2024 0 Comments

Should McKinney council members get more tenure and pay raises? The voters will decide

McKinney council members are limited to serving a maximum of eight years, but they are asking voters for more time.

Voters in McKinney have four cities charter changes on the ballot, including a proposal that would increase council members' terms from two consecutive four-year terms to three. Another proposal would increase council members' salaries to a monthly stipend of $750 and the mayor's salary to $1,000 per month, if passed.

The other two proposals would amend the charter to comply with new state laws passed since the charter's last election in 2019 and remove provisions and policies that the city no longer follows.

Bridgette Wallis, who writes the text McKinney Citizen to Citizen Blogsaid the amendment to extend the terms is a power grab by the current council members and the mayor. McKinney voters elected Mayor George Fuller to his second term in 2021. He could run for re-election if the amendment passes, but he has not yet decided whether he will run again.

Wallis said allowing council members to serve three terms would reduce diversity.

“The longer the establishment is in charge, the less they will look for new ideas and perspectives,” she said.

Under current city charter rules, an elected official can serve eight years as a council member and — after a break — another eight years as mayor.

If the charter amendment is passed, an elected city official in McKinney could serve 12 years as a council member and 12 years as mayor, as long as there is a gap in between.

Proponents of extending term limits say experience is an asset for council members and the mayor. Geré Feltus, who is completing her second term on the McKinney City Council, said there is a learning curve for new members.

“You get to the point where you feel like I'm getting better at this, but I have to leave office, and that's not really good for the greater good,” she said.

Fuller said building relationships takes time. The mayor said he now has connections he didn't have when he was first elected. He said these relationships have helped the city. The federal government gave McKinney $15 million in grants earlier this year in front of the Lower 5 Plaza. The project aims to connect historic downtown McKinney and East McKinney with a pedestrian walkway.

Fuller said he would have had difficulty accessing those grant funds during his first two years as mayor.

“I wouldn't know where to start,” he said.

But Tom Michelo, who is the Keep McKinney Unique PAC am against Proposition A and says that City Council membership is not rocket science. He also said the turnover allows for new ideas and greater participation in local government.

Other than the president, city council members and the mayor are the only elected officials in McKinney with term limits. Wallis and Michero both said they support adding term limits to other elected positions.

Voters in McKinney approved the two-term limit for city council and mayor in 2011. Michero called that decision prophetic.

“I think they put those protections in the term limits to protect us from people who would try to extend them, especially for themselves,” he said.

AJ Micheletto, a volunteer at the Citizens for McKinney PAC, said consistent leadership is key for the growing city. McKinney is the county seat of Collin County, the third-fastest growing county in the country, according to the U.S. Census. McKinney has a population of 213,509 as of July 2023 Census data – about 100,000 more than the city's population in 2010.

Micheletto said McKinney needs leaders with experience addressing the impact of growth on local infrastructure and government services.

“It is important that our leadership understands and has a plan for the future so that we can grow in the best and most intentional way possible,” she said.

Fuller said voters should be the ultimate deciders on term limits and the other three city charter changes.

“It shouldn't be on the council,” he said. “It shouldn't be with the naysayers or with the proponents. It should be up to the overall electorate.”

Early voting ends on Friday, November 1 at 7:00 PM. Election day is Tuesday, November 5.

Do you have a tip? Email Caroline Love at clove@kera.org.

Caroline Love is one Report for America corps member for KERA News.

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