.png)
City charter to be reviewed, a look back at 2024 and new projects ahead
Interim city manager After fifty minutes spent behind closed doors Jan. 7, City Council emerged from executive session and unanimously authorized Mayor Theresa McShan to enter into a contract with Isaac Turner as Elgin’s new interim city manager.
Turner will be taking over for Beau Perry, who began the year serving as acting city manager following the removal of Tom Mattis late last year.
He has most recently served as interim city manager for Leander, Texas.
City charter review
With talks last year of extending council member term length and increasing compensation, the council brought in professional advice to discuss the idea of creating a city charter review committee.
Municipal attorney Charles Zech, of Denton, Navarro, Rocha, Bernal and Zech, presented an overview of the charter amendment process and recommended electing a nine-member committee of locals vested in the community for efficiency and balance.
Zech noted that the city’s charter, last reviewed in 1986, may need updates to comply with current state laws. He suggested allowing him to conduct a legal review before the committee begins its work.
“If you put together a good charter that sets out the backbone of what you want your government to look like, there’s no need to review it regularly. It should occur naturally as the community grows,” he said.
The council agreed to come back with appointees for the Jan. 21 council meeting and outline focus areas for review.
Zech advised the council to ensure amendments are tailored to Elgin’s needs, and employ an “if it isn’t broke, there’s no reason to fix it,” mindset.
2024 Main Street report
Krista Marx, Elgin Main Street Board president, spoke with pride before the council as she highlighted last year’s achievements and broken records.
Elgin earned distinction in 2024, selected as one of only 41 accredited Main Street Cities across the state.
“Elgin Texas is kind of a big deal,” she said, noting there are 1,225 municipalities in Texas, including cities, towns and villages.
The board’s efforts focus on preservation-based economic development, according to Marx, aiming to revitalize Elgin’s downtown area while celebrating its historic charm. Key accomplishments for the district included a net of seven new businesses, $2.88 million in public and private investment and over 725 logged volunteer hours, valued at $24,000.
Hogeye Festival, the board’s flagship event, set records with $61,000 in sponsorships — the highest amount ever recorded — expanding vendor spaces by 20 to reach 111% capacity and involving over 500 volunteer hours.
“It worked out to be a beautiful day… there was so many people here that I’ve never seen before in my life. They were in Downtown Elgin, and they were a part of our community and the excitement,” Marx added.
Other successful ongoing events included Sip, Shop and Stroll, Music in the Park and a variety of holiday activities.
Marx credited the team’s successes to partnerships with local organizations like Elgin ISD, the Elgin Arts Association and the Elgin Public Library.
“It takes a lot of work, but it brings a lot of dollars to our businesses downtown,” she said.
Youth Diversion Plan
Council members reviewed the city’s new Youth Diversion Plan, mandated by state law, which began Jan. 1.
The program aims to prevent juveniles aged 10 to 17 from entering the justice system and accumulating criminal records. Instead, it emphasizes community service, tutoring and a “community effort,” requiring parental permission.
The system applies to juveniles who have not been involved in similar programs in other jurisdictions and lack significant criminal history.
Currently working with prosecutors, program leaders will soon return before the council for assistance in hiring a dedicated juvenile case manager.
Officials acknowledged they are unsure how many cases the program might handle in its early stages.
Nonprofit funding tabled
The council postponed discussion on the distribution of community nonprofit support funding included in the city’s fiscal year 2024-25 budget report.
McShan urged council members to complete their evaluations quickly to avoid delays in writing checks, aiming to finalize decisions at their meeting next week.
Street Resurfacing Program
The $500,000 set aside in Elgin’s previous budget for its street resurfacing program will be put to use this year.
The funds were encumbered to be utilized, according to Perry, due to delays stemming from the construction of the new Elgin Police Department headquarters downtown.
The project is well within budget, he said, and will begin with widening and adding curbs, gutters and parking to Avenue B to complement the Veterans Park expansion.
Development still coming
Acting City Manager Beau Perry presented the Planning and Zoning Commission’s annual summary.
In 2024, just over 1,000 plats were approved, about 100 less than the prior year, signaling continued interest from developers in Elgin, according to Perry.
“There’s a lot going on in Elgin,” he said.
