Gainesville sets Nov. 3 vote on first charter changes since 1996

Gainesville voters will decide on Nov. 3 whether to limit how long city officeholders can serve and whether to stop electing the municipal judge, the first set of charter changes to reach the ballot in about 30 years. The city council ordered the special election on Aug. 4 by adopting Ordinance 1623-08-2026, according to the election order filed with the city.

The charter dates to 1909, and voters last amended it in August 1996, the city's Charter Review Commission wrote in its report. The commission met five times between March 4 and May 27 before voting to send the package forward.

One proposition would hold councilmembers and the mayor to four consecutive regular terms in each office. Another would bar the mayor from making or seconding motions at the council table. A third would replace the elected municipal judge with one appointed by a majority of the council to a two-year term, the election order says.

A separate question reworks how the city holds its cemetery money. It would close the Permanent Cemetery Fund by June 1, 2027, create a Cemetery Endowment Fund and a Cemetery Street Fund, put $1.5 million into the endowment and send the balance to the Cemetery Street Fund.

Section 9.004 of the Texas Local Government Code allows a municipal governing body to submit charter amendments to voters and limits how often a charter may be altered. For comparison, McKinney voters rejected a 2024 charter proposition that would have allowed three consecutive four-year terms, city records show.

The Aug. 4 agenda packet also carried a Chapter 380 agreement with B-29 Properties LLC covering about 1.7 acres for $206,000. The buyer takes on demolition of the structures and mini-warehouses at 1617 E. Highway 82 and the Much Love Motors building at 1505 E. Highway 82, with 180 days from the effective date to finish the work. If the company falls short of the terms, it owes the city the full value of the property less what it paid, the packet says. Chapter 380 lets Texas cities run programs of that kind to encourage local business activity.

At Gainesville Municipal Airport, the packet described a ten-year fuel supply, branding and refueler lease package with World Fuel Services. City materials say Jet A and 100LL fuel stay available, the gross cost of fuel drops, and the monthly refueler lease falls by more than half, with money added for infrastructure and yearly operations. The field has moved roughly 330,000 to 400,000 gallons a year since fiscal 2019-2020, the city's May request for proposals reported.

The same packet included a resolution permitting alcohol sales at the Fire & Table gathering at the Downtown Gainesville Farmers Market on Aug. 15. The city's market page says alcohol is generally allowed on the grounds unless an event restricts it.

Cooke County posts dockets for the 235th District Court weekly and lists court coordinator phone numbers for docket questions, according to the county docket page. The district clerk is clerk of the 235th and keeps custody of civil and family case filings. The county directs people seeking copies of case records to Texas Online Records or re:SearchTX.