city council

Special to The Highlander

The city of Marble Falls has announced deadline for applicants for a vacated city council seat and committee and board positions.

Residents have until Dec. 31 to submit their application to fill the seat recently vacated by Marble Falls City Council member Megan Klaeger Ruff.

The Council will consider candidates and appoint a new member to fill the unexpired term of Place 6 at their January 15, 2019 regular council meeting.

Applications must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 31 at city hall, 800 Third St.

The new council member will serve until the May 2019 election and is eligible to run for the position.

The council is comprised of seven members who are elected for two-year terms.

To be eligible to apply, candidates must be a registered voter of the city, 21 years of age or over, a U.S. citizen and have been a resident of the city for one year.

By Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

The Highlander

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The City of Marble Falls recognized April as Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month through a formal proclamation by mayor John Packer at the Tuesday, April 3, meeting of the Marble Falls City Council.

Introducing volunteers of the Burnet County Child Welfare Board who were present and Cindi Ashford-Fry, development coordinator of the Hill Country Child Advocacy Center, Packer reaffirmed the city's commitment to their work and that of the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for the Highland Lakes and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.

“Through a national effort, Marble Falls community members are encouraged to join together to raise awareness for those children fallen victim to abuse and neglect throughout the month of April,” he proclaimed.

By Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

The Highlander

Marble Falls City Council members voted 4-2 to appoint William “Dee” Haddock to the Place 4 seat left vacant after the May 6 general election.

Haddock, who has served on the city's Planning & Zoning Commission since 2011, was one of three people who threw their hats into the ring for the position recently held by Rachel Austin-Cook, who did not seek re-election to her Place 4 seat.

Michele Boshears and Jim Coursey also submitted their applications for consideration prior to the May 8 deadline set by the council. No candidates had filed to run for Place 4 in the May 2017 general election, which had been canceled due to lack of opposed candidates. According to Section 3.06 of the City Charter, the City Council must appoint a qualified candidate when there is a vacancy.

Note: In publication, two errors were made in relating responses by Bobby Brown in the Tuesday, April 25, edition of The Highlander. The corrected quotes are seen below in red type.

Although David Baker drew no challenger, he offered responses to the questions we asked and those answers are included also here in HighlanderNews.com,  following candidate forum biographies.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Early voting began Monday, April 24, and in Meadowlakes, two places on the ballot are contested.

In their ballot order, Edwin O'Hayre and Mel Hazlewood are candidates for Place 4 and Bobby Brown and Charles Henley are in the running for Place 5.