May 13, 2026 Special City Council

[1. CALL SESSION TO ORDER]

[00:00:04]

IT'S 5:00. WE'LL CALL THE SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING FOR WEDNESDAY, MAY 13TH, 2026 TO ORDER.

WE'LL START WITH ROLL CALL. COUNCIL MEMBER. WARNER. HERE.

COUNCILMAN MORRIS HERE. COUNCILMAN GORDON HERE.

COUNCILMAN PORTERFIELD HERE. COUNCILMEMBER KING HERE.

MAYOR PRO TEM THORNTON HERE. MAYOR SNYDER HERE.

THERE'S NO PUBLIC COMMENT TO THIS POINT. SO WE HAVE ITEM FOUR ONE.

[4.1. Consideration and possible action on Resolution No. R-2026-113 canvassing the returns and declaring the results of the General Election held May 2, 2026 for the purpose of electing Councilmember Place 1 and Councilmember Place 4. (Laura Hallmark)]

CANVASING THE RETURNS AND DECLARING THE RESULTS OF THE GENERAL ELECTION HELD MAY 2ND, 2026 FOR THE PURPOSE OF ELECTING COUNCIL MEMBER.

PLACE ONE AND COUNCILMAN PLACE FOUR. GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCIL LAURA HALLMARK, CITY SECRETARY FOR THE RECORD.

WE ARE HALFWAY THROUGH THE ELECTION PROCESS. AS YOU KNOW, THE RESULTS ARE COMPLETELY UNOFFICIAL UNTIL THEY'RE CANVASED AT THIS AFTERNOON'S MEETING AND AS OF THIS YEAR. IN MAY, WE HAD 23,984 REGISTERED VOTERS.

THERE WERE ONLY 1014 BALLOTS CAST, WHICH IS A 4.23% TURNOUT.

WOW. I WOULD LIKE TO NOTE THAT PART OF THE CHARGES THAT WILLIAMSON COUNTY CHARGES US FOR ELECTION IS A PER REGISTERED VOTER FEE.

SO HOW MUCH THAT WAS? THAT'S A LOW ROI. YEAH.

YOU KNOW, THE TOTAL REGISTERED VOTERS TOTAL REGISTERED IS, I THINK, 431 SOMETHING.

IT'S ON THE WEBSITE. I DON'T I DON'T HAVE FOR THE COUNTY.

NO, NO NO FOR THE CITY WAS 23,944. OH I SEE I'M SORRY.

BUT DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE COST IS TOTAL FOR THIS ELECTION? IT'S IN THE CONTRACT FOR OUR ESTIMATED COST FOR THIS ELECTION.

NOT COUNTING THE RUNOFF WAS 34,000 PLUS. WHAT? YEAH. SO THAT'S A VOTE OF WHAT? $240 PER PERSON PER REGISTERED VOTER VOTERS IN THE CONTRACT.

I CAN GET THAT FOR YOU. I DON'T HAVE IT OFFHAND. IT JUST COMES OUT TO $340 FOR EVERY PERSON WHO CAST A VOTE.

THAT'S WHAT IT COSTS. NO, NO, 34,000 DIVIDED BY $1,034 OH $34.

YEAH. AND SO FOR RUNOFF, WE HAVE TO PAY ANOTHER 30 4K APPROXIMATELY.

I DO NOT KNOW HOW MUCH THAT COST WILL BE. OKAY.

SO THE RESULTS WE DID NOT HAVE ONE CANDIDATE WHO RECEIVED 50% PLUS ONE OF THE VOTE FOR PLACE ONE.

SO THAT WILL GO TO A RUNOFF AND THAT WILL BE BETWEEN THE TOP TWO VOTE GETTERS, WHICH ARE GERALD W REYNOLDS AND BRANDY MCCOOL.

AND FOR THE RUNOFF, THOSE THIS IS THE ORDER THAT THEY APPEARED ON THE BALLOT AND FOR THE RUNOFF, IT'S NOT NECESSARY TO DO ANOTHER DRAWING FOR POSITION. THEY'LL APPEAR AS THEY DID IN THE ORIGINAL BALLOT FOR PLACE FOUR.

WE DID HAVE A CLEAR OUTCOME. KARINA ZEPEDA RECEIVED 54.34% OF THE VOTE.

AND AFTER THE CANVASS THIS EVENING, SHE WILL THEN TAKE HER OATH OF OFFICE AT OUR REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING ON MAY 21ST.

SO THOSE ARE THE RESULTS. AND THE RESOLUTION IS TO CANVASS AND ACCEPT THESE RESULTS.

DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR ACTION? I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE RESOLUTION R2026-113.

CANVASING THE RETURNS AND DECLARING THE RESULTS OF THE GENERAL ELECTION HELD MAY 2ND, 2026 FOR THE PURPOSE OF ELECTING COUNCIL MEMBER PLACE FOR.

IT'S JUST FOR RIGHT BECAUSE IT SAYS PLACE ONE AND FOUR THERE, BUT IT'S CANVASING THE RESULTS, CANVASING THE RESULTS. SO PLACE ONE AND FOUR THEN. THANK YOU. SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER GORDON, SECONDED BY COUNCILOR MORRIS. ANY DISCUSSION? THANKS FOR WORKING ON YOUR WEEKEND. AGAIN, AS I SAID LAST YEAR, YOU'RE THE FIRST SECRETARY I'VE SEEN THAT'S WORKS ON THE WEEKEND AND WALKING THROUGH AND MAKING SURE THINGS ARE GOING RIGHT. SO I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THAT.

THANK YOU. PART OF MY JOB AS THE ELECTION OFFICIAL, AND YOU DO IT AND YOU SAID IT'S YOUR ELECTION.

I HEARD YOU SAY, YES, IT IS. ALL RIGHT. PLEASE CALL THE VOTE.

MAYOR PRO TEM THORNTON. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. WARNER.

AYE. MAYOR SNYDER. COUNCIL MEMBER. KING. AYE.

COUNCIL MEMBER. GORDON. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. MORRIS.

AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. PORTERFIELD. AYE. MOTION PASSES SEVEN ZERO.

[4.2. Consideration and possible action on Resolution No. R-2026-114 ordering a runoff election for June 13, 2026, for the purpose of electing a City Councilmember for Place 1; designating election precincts and polling places; providing for early voting; providing for performance of required administrative duties; making provisions for the conduct of such election; and providing for other matters related to such election. (Laura Hallmark)]

SO, AS MENTIONED, WE DID NOT HAVE A CLEAR CANDIDATE WHO CAME AWAY WITH 50% PLUS ONE OF THE VOTES FOR PLACE ONE, SO THERE WILL BE A RUNOFF. THIS WAS INCLUDED AS PART OF THE JOINT ELECTION CONTRACT WITH WILLIAMSON COUNTY ELECTIONS THAT COUNCIL APPROVED BACK IN FEBRUARY.

[00:05:07]

WE JUST NEED TO CALL THE RUNOFF WITH THIS RESOLUTION.

AGAIN, IT STATES THAT EARLY VOTING WILL BE SATURDAY.

I'M SORRY. ELECTION DAY IS SATURDAY, JUNE 13TH.

EARLY VOTING WILL RUN JUNE 1ST THROUGH JUNE 9TH.

ELECTION DAY WILL BE HERE IN THE CHAMBERS. EARLY VOTING WILL BE HERE AT CITY HALL, BUT IT WILL BE IN THE LIBRARY MEETING ROOM.

WE WERE ABLE TO FIND SPACE FOR THE SUMMER READING PROGRAM THAT THE LIBRARY HAD GOING ON SCHEDULED IN THERE, AS WELL AS THEIR OTHER MEETINGS THAT THEY HAD SCHEDULED.

I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE KRISTEN PHILLIPS, OUR LIBRARY DIRECTOR, WHO IS VERY FLEXIBLE AND COOPERATIVE IN HELPING US ACCOMMODATE THIS EARLY VOTING AT CITY HALL. SWEET. COOL. ANY QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL OR ACTION? I'LL APPROVE RESOLUTION R 2026 114 AS PRESENTED.

WE HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER GORDON. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND.

SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN MORRIS. ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, PLEASE CALL THE VOTE. IF I MAY, ONE THING I FORGOT TO NOTE WAS NUMBER OF REGISTERED VOTERS.

YEAR OVER YEAR FROM LAST MAY. SINCE THIS MAY, WE HAD 1412 NEW REGISTERED VOTERS IN THE CITY.

1412 1412. OKAY. THAT'S IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT T A, B, C STUFF TO WHERE THERE'S THAT MANY IN ONE YEAR.

AND WE'RE GOING FOUR YEARS FROM A GOVERNOR'S RACE, THAT COULD BE A LOT OF PEOPLE.

SO IT EITHER MEANS A LOT OF NEW RESIDENTS WHO ARE ALREADY INVOLVED OR CURRENT RESIDENTS WHO DECIDED TO GET INVOLVED.

EITHER WAY, IT'S A GOOD THING. NEW REGISTRANTS. SO YEAH, IT COULD BE MOVE INS OR IT COULD BE PEOPLE WHO JUST WENT AND REGISTERED WHO WEREN'T CORRECT. AND IS THAT A NET INCREASE? SO I'M ASSUMING PEOPLE WHO MOVED OUT WOULD HAVE DROPPED OFF THE ROLLS.

IT'S THE TOTAL NUMBER VERSUS THE TOTAL NUMBER.

NET AND CLARIFICATION. YOU SAID EARLY VOTING IS THE FIRST THROUGH THE NINTH, BUT I'M ASSUMING AS USUAL, IT WON'T BE ON SUNDAY THE SEVENTH. CORRECT. CLOSED ON SUNDAY.

AND THEN SATURDAY HAS ADJUSTED HOURS BECAUSE IT'S JUST US AND LOWER VOTER TURNOUT FOR A RUNOFF.

SO IT WILL BE 8 TO 12. OKAY. YEAH, 4% CAME OUT FOR THE GENERAL.

I CAN'T IMAGINE WE'LL HAVE TWO LIKE ONE MACHINE WOULD HANDLE IT.

OH MY GOSH. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. PLEASE CALL THE VOTE.

COUNCIL MEMBER. MORRIS. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. KING.

AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. WARNER. AYE. MAYOR SNYDER.

AYE. MAYOR PRO TEM THORNTON. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER.

PORTERFIELD. AYE. AND FOR THE LAST TIME, COUNCIL MEMBER.

GORDON. AYE. MOTION PASSES SEVEN ZERO. AND WE WILL ADJOURN OUR MEETING AT 5:08 P.M..

SORRY.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.