Here are the headlines Peggy Heinkel-Wolfe read on-air this week:
Municipal court judge proposes longer term
Municipal Court Judge Tyler Atkinson asked city council members Tuesday to add another item to a growing list of possible charter amendments: extending a municipal court judge’s term.
State law sets the term at two years by default, but allows home-rule cities like Denton to specify a longer term in the city charter.
Atkinson said that a four-year term could help with the court’s long-range planning, and also boost its stability and judicial independence.
For most people, municipal court business means answering for a traffic ticket from Denton or campus police. But the municipal court judge also hears other public health and safety cases, such as misdemeanor tickets for illegal dumping or a loose dog.
Newly re-elected council member Brandon McGee asked Atkinson about the city’s trade-off with a longer term.
Brandon McGee: “Judge, you laid out the benefits. Tell me why we wouldn’t want to do this. What’s the advantage of having two-year terms?”
Tyler Atkinson: “You don’t have to go through the process of amending your charter, is one—so the hassle of going through the process. Yes, just the council’s ability to release their judge more quickly, I guess.”
Brandon McGee: “Flexibility for on our side then, basically. Thanks, Judge.”
Tyler Atkinson: “Yes, removing or reducing concept of judicial independence.”
Council members agreed to include the proposed change with its growing list of possible charter amendments. The council is expected to finish its charter review next month, when it hands the work off to a citizen committee. That committee will evaluate possible propositions for a charter amendment election planned for May 2025.
More information at cityofdenton.com.
Council voting records to return to city website
Also on Tuesday afternoon, council members split over whether to insist that the city secretary’s office reinstate its posting of council voting records.
Several years ago, the staff began compiling those voting records to make them more accessible to the public. But the city secretary’s office stopped creating the tool about the time Denton residents were petitioning to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.
The staff said that the work was time-consuming and not required by the charter. But that also meant that people who kept an eye on how council members voted were back to hunting through official meeting minutes to find the information they needed.
Council members Vicki Byrd, Joe Holland, Brian Beck and Brandon McGee said the postings boosted transparency and accountability, and needed to be reinstated. Both outgoing council member Chris Watts and Mayor Gerard Hudspeth said that they were uncomfortable going against a staff recommendation to abandon the practice.
Hudspeth said that, to be clear, he wasn’t opposed to being transparent, but he called the practice of posting voting records a political one.
Gerard Hudspeth: “In this instance, I’m for it, too, I just think that I—to dismiss how long it takes, but then pawn that off on staff and say, ‘hey, you do it’—I can’t get on board with that.”
A staff estimate said that it takes about 8 hours to post those voting records for each council meeting, a number that drew skepticism from at least one City Hall watchdog and a few council members.
The new city secretary, Lauren Thoden, asked council members to give her office several months to go through the back log as it reinstates the practice.
More information at cityofdenton.com.
For your calendar: Barbie, birds and run-offs
Denton Parks and Recreation kicks off summertime fun with its first outdoor movie showing on Friday evening in Quakertown Park. Bring a blanket and chair to join the pink parade at about 7 p.m. for the movie, Barbie. Check dentonparks.com for more outdoor movie dates and times at both Quakertown Park and Water Works Park.
Then, celebrate World Migratory Bird Day on Saturday morning at the Lake Lewisville Environmental Learning Area Nature Preserve with hands-on learning activities, advanced and family-friendly bird walks with a Texas master naturalist, and a live presentation from the Blackland Prairie Raptor Center. More information at txmn.org/elmfork.
Finally, here’s a reminder that early voting for the Republican and Democratic primary run-off races begins Monday, May 20, and runs for just five days, through Friday, May 24. The election is Tuesday, May 28. More information at votedenton.gov.
Local News currently airs each Wednesday at 10 a.m. on KUZU 92.9 FM-LP in Denton, Texas, with rebroadcasts airing at 3 p.m. Thursday, and 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. Friday. The Weekend Edition of Local News airs each Saturday at 4 p.m., with rebroadcasts at 9 p.m. and midnight; and 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. Sunday.
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On air since 2017, KUZU is Denton’s only volunteer-run, nonprofit community radio station. You can learn more and listen online at kuzu.fm.
Local News and Weekend Edition scripts are published on Substack. Subscribe for free at peggyheinkelwolfe.substack.com and follow live microblogging of Local News on Mastodon @phwolfe940@denton.social. Peggy is an award-winning, veteran journalist and a Denton County resident since 1993.