MANSFIELD — The final vote by City Council on the 2026 CDBG spending plan is going to have wait a couple of weeks.
No one opposed it on Tuesday night. There just were not enough votes in favor of it.
Follow along, if you would:
There were just six of the eight voting lawmakers in attendance Tuesday night. Second Ward Councilwoman Cheryl Meier and Fifth Ward Councilman Aurelio Diaz were absent.
Six is still sufficient to pass legislation, as council did throughout the evening.
But when it came to bill 26-052, an issue developed, unbeknownst at the time it happened.
First Ward Councilman Michael Miranda and Third Ward Councilwoman Crystal Davis Weese abstained from voting, presumably due to some conflict of interest with the plan to spend $860,332 in federal funds.
At-large members David Falquette and Shari Robertson voted “yes,” as did Fourth Ward Councilwoman Cynthia Daley and Sixth Ward Councilwoman Deborah Mount.
That made the vote 4-0. Satisfied, lawmakers moved on through the legislative session.
It wasn’t until the near the end of the session, just before council went into executive session to discuss labor agreements, that Deputy Law Director David Madden called the earlier 4-0 vote improper.
He told lawmakers four votes, even unanimous, did not constitute a “quorum” of the eight voting members on City Council. Five of the potential eight votes were required.
Madden apologized for not noticing the issue earlier, but advised lawmakers they would need to vote to rescind the vote in favor of the plan and then vote to table it until the next meeting on April 21.
Lawmakers followed that advice and the CDBG plan will be back before council in two weeks, when presumably enough council members will be on hand to approve it in time to get it sent off to federal officials in Washington, D.C.
City council also on Tuesday night:
— approved the administration’s spending plan for spending Home Investment Partnership Program funds.
—honored Kim Hildreth upon her retirement from the city of Mansfield engineering department.
— approved new three-year labor agreements with the “Blue” and “White” units of the Fraternal Order of Police.
–approved the reappointment of Jennifer Pennel to the Mansfield Public Arts Commission.
— voted to accept $300 from Alpha GMC and $300 from Owls Nest Lounge to be used by the Mansfield Police Department in the upcoming 11th annual Bike-A-Palooza.
— approved eight damage claims from residents.
— heard a presentation about a recently completed sediment study in the Clear Fork Reservoir.
