City of Rusk calls election May 10
BY GLORIA JENNINGS

Rusk City Council members called a city election for 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, May 10, at their meeting Thursday evening at city hall. The city election will be held jointly with Rusk ISD at the school administration building. However, early voting for the city will be conducted at city hall.

The city will contract with Cherokee County for the use of voting equipment.

Three councilpersons to fill positions now held by Don Jones, District 3; Donald Woodard, District 4; and Sam Florian, District 5 will be elected. Also, on the ballot will be charter revisions.

City Attorney Larry Sinclair met with the council and discussed the proposed revisions.

The charter revisions were recommended by a committee appointed by the council. The committee was appointed on the recommendation of then council member, the late Ruth Ross. Mrs. Ross said she wanted citizens to determine if the mayor should have the right to vote. Voters gave the mayor this right at a special election May 4, 1996.

One of the proposed propositions deals with this matter, which would limit the mayor's vote to only break a tie.

Another of the propositions establishes a quorum as a majority of the council and a majority of the members present required to pass any order of business.

Proposals to be submitted to voters will ask for the establishment of positions for alternate municipal court judges to serve in the absence of the presiding judge.

Voters will be asked to clarify existing wording concerning the removal or discharge of city employees in general and the future establishment of a municipal court-of-record.

Voters will be asked to take out the cap on city spending without the approval of the council. This will allow the council to set the cap by ordinance, which can be changed from year to year.

Kris Morgan, District 1, said, "I still maintain that the mayor should vote. However I am not in a position to play God with the citizens of Rusk. I think they should have the opportunity to vote on the matter."

"I agree with you. There is no ground swell to take the mayor's vote away. I took a poll of District 3 and found 50 percent said the mayor should vote and 50 percent said no," said Mr. Jones.

"I think the mayor should have the right to vote," Walter Session, District 2, said.

Mr. Woodard, District 4, said he thought citizens should vote on the matter.

Mr. Florian, District 5 said, "You all know how I feel, but in the spirit of unity, I say we should ask voters to decide on the matter."

In another matter the council approved the location of a mobile home on property located in the William Anderson survey for Mario Santiago, 3321 Loop 343, Rusk.

The council approved a contract with CKS Wireless and designated the city manager to sign it. The wireless company will place antennas on city towers and give the city one free internet service for every antenna. With the addition of CKS services in Rusk, there will be two high speed internet facilities. The other is SuddenLink.

During the city manager's report, Mike Murray, said there is water at the well location on FM 343. "They hit 50 feet of water at 600 feet and they will drill another 50 feet.

Congressman Jeb Hensarling will be in Rusk at 10:45 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20, to present a Congressional Record document to Lewie Byers, Rusk Citizen of the Year. The presentation will be made in the county courtroom of the courthouse.