Austin City Council 2026 Ballot Propositions
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Proposition G
Proposition G
Against
Against
Even-Numbered Year Elections for Citizen Initiatives
Even-Numbered Year Elections for Citizen Initiatives
BALLOT LANGUAGE
BALLOT LANGUAGE
Shall the City Charter be amended to provide that initiative elections and petitioned charter amendment elections must be held on the next available November election date that occurs in an even-numbered year and that allows sufficient time to comply with other requirements of law?
WHY YOU MIGHT LIKE IT
WHY YOU MIGHT LIKE IT
This amendment moves local initiative and charter votes to November in even-numbered years. This may make it easier for more voters to participate, since people are already at the polls for big national and state elections.
VOTE AGAINST IT BECAUSE
VOTE AGAINST IT BECAUSE
The amendment takes power away from everyday voters by forcing them to wait up to 20 months to fix local government problems on the ballot. By limiting these votes strictly to November elections in even-numbered years, it puts small, neighborhood campaigns at a huge disadvantage. Well-funded special interest groups can afford to keep running long, expensive campaigns, while regular citizens risk running out of money and losing momentum over time.
WHAT THE AMENDMENT CHANGES
WHAT THE AMENDMENT CHANGES
Article IV. - INITIATIVE, REFERENDUM, AND RECALL
§ 4. - COUNCIL CONSIDERATION AND SUBMISSION TO VOTERS.
(A) When the council receives an authorized initiative petition certified by the city clerk to be sufficient, the council shall either:
(1) [(a)] Pass the initiated ordinance without amendment within 10 days after the date of the certification to the council; or
(2) [(b)] Order an election and submit said initiated ordinance without amendment to a vote of the qualified voters of the city at the city's next November election date that occurs in an even-numbered year and that allows sufficient time to comply with other requirements of law [a regular or special election to be held on the next allowable election date authorized by state law after the certification to the council].
(B) When the council receives an authorized referendum petition certified by the city clerk to be sufficient, the council shall reconsider the referred ordinance, and if upon such reconsideration such ordinance is not repealed, it shall be submitted to the voters at a regular or special election to be held on the next allowable election date authorized by state law after the date of the certification to the council.
(C) When the council receives an authorized charter amendment petition certified by the city clerk to be sufficient. the council shall submit said proposed charter amendment to a vote of the qualified voters of the city at the city's next November election date that occurs in an even-numbered year and that allows sufficient time to comply with other requirements of law.
(D) Special elections on initiated or referred ordinances shall not be held more frequently than once each six months, and no ordinance on the same subject as an initiated ordinance which has been defeated at any election may be initiated by the voters within two years from the date of such election.
Sources:
- City Ordinance No 20260806-004 contains City Charter amendments and can be downloaded from the August 6, 2026, meeting agenda: https://www.austintexas.gov/council/2026/20260806-reg#004
- ARTICLE IV. - INITIATIVE, REFERENDUM, AND RECALL. § 4. - COUNCIL CONSIDERATION AND SUBMISSION TO VOTERS. https://library.municode.com/tx/austin/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=CH_ARTIVINRERE_S4COCOSUVO
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