Monty Parker says he plans on being Bee Cave’s mayor for one term, maybe two, “if I’m having fun and people want me back.” He already has goals laid out for after his May 16 swearing-in, some of which have to do with ongoing work related to legal actions the city has faced.
“We obviously have issues that were only revealed only in the last few months. Someone has to [be mayor]. I guess I’m just crazy enough to try and tackle it,” Parker told Community Impact Newspaper.
Parker, who ran unopposed, said the city “will be all right” as it winds through a suit brought by the land developer of the stalled Backyard music venue.
Staff recently settled a second suit brought by another local developer, who complained changes were made to an ordinance that were never shown to or approved by council before it was enacted.
Parker called that a flawed approval process that council began addressing shortly after the issue was revealed. He hoped to have a new ordinance process in place in the coming weeks.
Parker, who was first elected to City Council in November 2015 after sitting on the planning and zoning commission, attributed the flaw to how the city transitioned from a village operating under general law rules to a home rule city in 2013. Under the city charter, Bee Cave is now supposed to operate under a strong city manager and a weak mayor.
“The rules changed, but I’m not sure we [all] transitioned, so it was business as usual. If I’m right about that feeling, I want to turn back the clock a little bit so that we adhere to the city charter,” Parker said.
Parker succeeds Caroline Murphy, who sat on the dais from 2000 when Bee Cave was a village of around 500 people—through the conversion to a home rule city in 2013—to this spring when she retired after 18 years.
Parker will lead a six-member council including re-elected incumbent Bill Goodwin and newcomer Jon Cobb.
Goals for Monty Parker’s term as Bee Cave mayor
- Having his successor appointed to serve out his council term (expires May 2019)
- Setting expectations to create a more engaged planning and zoning commission
- Increasing input on improving green spaces from the new parks director
- Completing RM 620 and Bee Caves Parkway trails by end of summer
