The Seagoville City Council certified the results of the Place 1 runoff election, welcomed Rick Howard back to the council and moved forward with police retention compensation and a public-safety technology upgrade during its June 22 meeting.
Mayor Dennis K. Childress presided over the meeting at Seagoville City Hall. Councilmembers Howard, Jose Hernandez and Jon Epps attended alongside Mayor Pro Tem Harold Magill. Councilmember Allen Grimes was absent. City Manager Carey Neal, City Attorney Victoria Thomas and City Secretary Sara Egan were also present.
Howard takes oath following runoff election
The council unanimously approved a resolution canvassing and declaring the results of the June 13 runoff election for Council Place 1.
Egan presented the tabulated results and reported that Howard received the majority of the votes. Following the council’s 4-0 vote to certify the election, she administered the oath of office and presented Howard with his certificate of election.
Later in the meeting, the council unanimously selected Howard to serve as mayor pro tem for the 2026-27 term. The mayor pro tem fulfills the mayor’s responsibilities when the mayor is unavailable. Childress thanked Magill for his service in the position during the previous term.
Police retention compensation moves forward
Council members reviewed compensation for the Seagoville Police Department after Magill requested that the issue be placed on the agenda.
Magill said public-safety compensation should be more competitive with pay offered by surrounding cities. Neal presented projected property values and revenue estimates, including calculations involving the no-new-revenue and voter-approval tax rates.
The council also reviewed two proposed step-pay plans developed after a consultant’s compensation study. Neal presented a retention-pay option for the current fiscal year, and the council expressed consent to proceed with the proposed retention compensation.
The meeting minutes do not specify the amount of the retention payment or provide a final police salary schedule.
Public-safety technology agreement approved
The council unanimously authorized Neal to enter into an agreement with Motorola Solutions for a platform migration and system upgrade.
Christine Wirth, the city’s director of technical and support services, presented the proposal. A Motorola Solutions representative answered questions about the expected lifespan of Seagoville’s existing equipment and the replacement technology.
The minutes do not identify the agreement’s cost or provide a detailed implementation timetable.
Abandoned alley matter postponed
Council members were scheduled to consider releasing the city’s interest in a 5,134-square-foot portion of an abandoned alley north of the John D. Merchant Survey.
Childress announced that the proposal was not ready for presentation. The matter was postponed for discussion and consideration at a future meeting, and no action was taken.
Surplus city property authorized for disposal
As part of the consent agenda, the council approved a resolution declaring certain municipal property surplus.
The resolution authorizes the city manager to sell, trade or otherwise dispose of the property through the process established in Seagoville’s Code of Ordinances. The minutes do not list the individual items covered by the resolution.
The council also approved the minutes from its June 8 meeting. Both consent-agenda items passed unanimously.
Future review requested for construction standards
Hernandez requested a future agenda item addressing the city’s right-of-way permitting process and utility construction standards.
The requested discussion would focus on cleanup and restoration requirements after construction projects are completed. No policy change was considered during the June 22 meeting.
Magill also thanked city employees for providing additional speed enforcement.
Community announcements presented
During the mayor’s report, Childress announced that Fireworks in the Park was scheduled for July 3 from 5 to 10 p.m. at Bruce Central Park.
He also reported that mosquito dunks were available for pickup at the Utility Billing counter, encouraged families to participate in the library’s Summer Reading Program and announced a July 27 budget workshop at the Seagoville Police Department, 1185 East Simonds Road.
No residents registered to speak during the public-comment portion of the meeting. The council adjourned at 7:06 p.m.
