Members will discuss recommendations Thursday, though the meeting overlaps with a City Council hearing on the proposed budget.
By Staff Reports
SEAGOVILLE — A citizens commission examining Seagoville’s Home Rule Charter will begin discussing its final report Thursday. The work brings the city closer to receiving recommendations that could reshape parts of municipal government.
The Citizens Charter Review Commission meets at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10. The session will be held in the training room at the Seagoville Police Department, 1185 E. Simonds Road.
Members are scheduled to review assigned sections of the charter and discuss the final report. They will also set future meeting dates and topics.
The city has not released the section assignments, a draft of the report or any amendments under consideration.
No recommendation takes effect simply by appearing in the commission’s report. The panel serves in an advisory role. Proposed changes would first move through the City Council and then require approval from voters.
Charter Requires Periodic Review
Seagoville’s charter directs the City Council to appoint a Citizens Charter Review Commission at least once every six years.
Section 9.05 of the charter gives the mayor and each council member two appointments. The commission reviews the charter and recommends any amendments it considers necessary.
Seagoville voters adopted the current Home Rule Charter on May 7, 2016.
A home rule charter serves as the city’s foundational governing document. It establishes the structure and authority of municipal government. The charter defines the powers of the mayor, the City Council and the city manager.
It also governs elections, council districts, vacancies and financial procedures. Initiative and referendum petitions, recall provisions and other elements of local government fall under the same document.
Because charter language shapes how public authority is exercised, the commission’s recommendations carry weight. The panel cannot enact changes on its own.
Texas law requires that any proposed home rule charter amendment go before the city’s qualified voters. An amendment passes only with majority support in that election.
No charter amendment election date has been set.
Panel Expected to Finish This Fall
City records indicate the commission is expected to meet during August and September 2026. Members were tasked with reviewing the existing charter, developing recommendations and presenting a final report to the City Council.
Thursday’s discussion suggests the panel has entered a later stage of that work. The item is listed for discussion only. Members are not scheduled to formally approve or transmit the report.
The commission will also consider approving minutes from its Aug. 27 meeting.
The 10 member body is led by Chair Tasha Smyth and Vice Chair Shanna S. Epps.
Other members are Barbara S. Sherman, Diane Marshall, Letha K. Reese, Mary Schimmel and Sonya Hill Darby. The roster also includes Charlotte D. Hernandez, Glenda Dupuis and Makayla Reynolds.
Two Public Meetings Overlap
The charter commission will convene at the same hour as a separate City Council proceeding.
The council begins a special meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday at Seagoville City Hall, 702 N. Highway 175. That session includes public hearings on the proposed fiscal year 2026-27 municipal budget and on the hotel and motel tax budget.
The charter commission starts 30 minutes later at the Police Department on East Simonds Road.
The two meetings are being held at separate locations and their times overlap. Residents will not be able to attend both in their entirety.
The city’s Public Meeting Center lists both gatherings for Sept. 10. The council’s special meeting is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. The charter commission lists a 6:30 p.m. start with no scheduled ending time.
The city’s online meeting page offers livestreamed or recorded video for several bodies. Those include the City Council, the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Seagoville Economic Development Corporation. The Citizens Charter Review Commission is not listed among them.
Residents May Address the Panel
Residents who wish to speak during the public comment period must register with the board liaison. Registered speakers will receive three minutes and may address items listed for the meeting.
The commission cannot discuss or act on those comments unless the subject has been properly posted for action.
Members may enter a closed executive session to seek confidential legal advice from the city attorney. Any formal action would have to take place after the panel returns to open session.
The commission is expected to set its future schedule Thursday as members continue working toward a final report for the City Council.
Until that report is completed and released, no specific amendment should be treated as a final recommendation.
