Liberty Hill is calling a special election this November during which eligible residents can vote on adopting its first charter that, if approved, will transform Liberty Hill into a self-governing home rule city.
Once a Texas city reaches a population of 5,000, residents can vote to implement a home rule charter, operating like a city’s constitution, Liberty Hill City Manager Paul Brandenburg said.
“[The city charter] really promotes true democracy [and] transparency for the community,” Brandenburg said.
Planning began in June 2023 when the city formed a home rule charter commission, composed of 15 Liberty Hill citizens who met once a month and were led by commission Chair Bryan Rivera.
The commission found inspiration in neighboring city charters along with a model charter published by the Texas Municipal League, Rivera said.
Two-minute impact
Liberty Hill is currently a general law city, meaning the city is restricted by state statute, said Tad Cleaves, legal counsel for the Texas Municipal League, a nonprofit that provides assistance to cities.
“Rather than looking to state law for specific authorization, home rule cities are somewhat authorized to do things unless they are prohibited,” Cleaves said.
The trigger to begin the charter commission process arose about two years ago when a state demographer calculated the city’s population as 6,801, Brandenburg said.
Former Mayor Liz Branigan witnessed the commission’s inception during her term, which lasted from 2020-24. While campaigning for the role, Branigan said she noticed how much her home had changed since she moved there in 1977.
“The city was growing so very fast,” Branigan said. “It’s gotten so very much younger over time that I determined that we needed to change the city to be more inclusive and more forward-thinking.”
Once the charter committee formed, Branigan said she was involved and provided encouragement, as some citizens experienced feeling disconnected from Liberty Hill. Teachers, accountants and religious leaders are just some examples of who made up the committee, she said.
“I’m very impressed with the caliber of our citizens and particularly the charter committee,” Branigan said. “I was so, so very impressed by the quality of these people and their experience and the talents that they were willing to share so freely.”
Why it matters
If the home rule charter passes, two of the most evident changes include incorporating an additional council member and allowing the mayor to vote, which currently only happens when a tie-breaker is needed.
“While I was mayor, I had some difficulties sometimes,” Branigan said. “It’s hard to moderate a meeting and present your views at the same time, so I felt that it would work better if the mayor had a vote.”
Council members will continue to serve three-year staggered terms to give newly elected officials time to learn the ropes of city government, Brandenburg said.
One change in the home rule charter’s proposal is a council-manager form of government that would give the city manager more responsibility than general law currently allows, Brandenburg said.
“All day-to-day operations would fall under the city manager,” Brandenburg said. “City Council would set and make policy, and then hand it over to the city manager.”
What they're saying
“It’s a ... big deal when a city adopts a home rule charter simply because it’s an expression of the local community’s interest in self-government and local control,” Cleaves said.
“We’re in the USA, land of the free, and self-government was why we split off from England. Historically, it’s a value that people share, and it makes us different,” Branigan said.
Going forward
A copy of the charter proposal will be mailed to eligible, registered voters in the city of Liberty Hill within 30 days of the election, and it can also be found online.
Given the higher voter turnout that comes with a presidential election, Brandenburg said it’s important to explain the charter to residents as they head to the polls.
Cleaves said he’s never heard of a charter not passing.
If voters approve the charter, the sixth council member will likely be voted in during the May election. The charter can be brought up for review every three years or any time through a public petition, Brandenburg said.
