Shenandoah City Council is actively seeking applicants for a city charter review committee as the community’s population is expected to reach 5,000 in the next two years.

Shenandoah is a general law city, meaning it operates under Texas law and guidelines. Once a city in Texas reaches the threshold of 5,000 residents, it can legally become a home rule city by adopting a charter, as discussed at the council’s regular workshop meeting Aug. 10. Shenandoah has a population of approximately 3,000.

“One of the biggest pros for a charter is that the residents get to control the city’s future in a lot more areas,” City Administrator Greg Smith said. “From my standpoint, I don’t really see a con with having a charter because it puts the power back with the majority of the people. As a home rule city with a charter, the citizens have the ability to create rules and regulations for the city to follow.”

The charter review committee will be made up of six citizens appointed individually by each council member and the mayor. Four to six additional applicants will be voted on by the council.

Once the members are selected, the committee will work together with the city administrator and city attorney for the next two years to put together a charter recommendation. The recommendation will then be approved by the council and put to a vote by residents.

“I think anybody that’s interested in the community and wants to play a role in the future of the community [would be a good applicant],” Smith said. “This committee will set the framework—the blueprint—of how the city is going to operate in the future.”

After the charter is established, the committee will meet every two or four years to make changes to the document as needed.

Typical charter review committees include diverse professions, ranging from bankers and attorneys to certified public accountants and local business owners, Smith said. One of the crucial points of view for Shenandoah’s committee, Smith said, is someone in the health care field.

“We are a very health care driven community and we will continue to be a very health care driven community,” he said. “I think they are a huge factor and they bring a unique thought process to the table.”

Council members will present their appointments at the regular City Council meeting Sept. 28. They may also announce the selected applicants the same day or at a later date.

Smith said the council plans to host town hall meetings to help educate citizens about home rule law and the charter process, but no dates have yet been set.

“We want community involvement, we want to hear the residents and how they would like to see this community move forward,” Smith said. “And the only way to get that information is to have the residents involved and give us their opinions, and look at it from their point of views. And that’s why we want a diverse group of residents on the committee.”

Applications will be available beginning the week of Aug. 14 at Shenandoah City Hall and online at www.shenandoahtx.us.