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First citywide town hall addresses audit, charter
Council members rolled up their sleeves to tackle some of the city’s most pressing challenges during Elgin’s first all-ward town hall Saturday morning.
Over two hours, city leaders provided updates July 19 on major topics and opened the floor for community questions and concerns. The gathering drew about 50 residents to the Elgin Independent School District Administrative Building, a welcome change from the typical council setting, attendees said.
“We’re here to be as transparent as we possibly can to let you know what’s going on,” Mayor Theresa McShan said. “We’re not hiding anything — we’re here to give you the information we have, and we hope that you will leave here with at least one nugget that you didn’t know.”
City staff stayed after the meeting to speak one-on-one with attendees about neighborhood specific issues, including drainage, roadwork and infrastructure.
CHARTER AMENDMENTS
The council reviewed proposed changes to Elgin’s city charter, which has not been updated since 2015. A charter committee has submitted 15 potential amendments that could appear on the November ballot, pending council approval.
Deputy Mayor Pro Tem YaLecia Love urged voters to review the measures ahead of the election, noting that the ballot will list each amendment only by proposition number, not full descriptions.
One proposed amendment, meant to increase and limit council terms, was initially written in a way that would allow up to four consecutive fouryear terms — totaling 16 years of uninterrupted service — causing confusion and concern among residents.
Committee member Roger Adams said its original intent was to require a four-year break between terms.
“I’m not sure how that got to say something else, but that was the recommendation,” Adams said.
Council members currently serve two-year terms. Some committee members supported increasing the length to three years, while others favored four-year terms with mandatory breaks.
The amendments are scheduled for council consideration Aug. 5.
EMERGENCY SERVICES
Officials also informed residents on a petition to bring Elgin and surrounding areas under the umbrella of Bastrop County Emergency Services District No. 3.
The ESD 3 board verified 77 signatures last week from Elgin-area residents seeking annexation into the district — enough to meet the state threshold and trigger the next step in the process. The decision could reach voters this November if the board moves forward.
According to the city, Elgin currently pays $27,900 per month under an interlocal agreement to keep ambulances rolling — a cost that would rise to $123,210 monthly through November 2026 unless annexation is passed. The mayor encouraged residents to vote to help put the city in better financial standing.
“Our citizens of Elgin need to vote and say yes in order for us to be a part,” McShan said. “We know we’re paying a lot of money, but if we have to go out and get our own service or another contract, we could be paying a lot more.”
If two separate propositions are approved by both Elgin and current ESD 3 voters, emergency medical services would be funded through a property tax of up to 10 cents per $100 valuation beginning in October 2026. Elgin would have to extend its current contract with Acadian Ambulance Service or find another provider if annexation is rejected.
One ESD 3 ambulance is already stationed between Elgin and Bastrop, which Commissioner Allen Johnson said has improved response times in both areas.
Officials said inter-local agreements are being discussed to ensure the portion of Elgin that lies in Travis County would also be covered — one of the reasons why the city sat out of the district’s formation vote last year.
A public hearing on the annexation is scheduled for 5 p.m. Aug. 13 at the Bastrop County Courthouse, 804 Pecan St. in Bastrop.
AUDIT AND BUDGET
Interim City Manager Isaac Turner addressed ongoing concerns about city finances and dismissed speculation about criminal wrongdoing.
“Most of you who have heard anything about the budget in Elgin, it’s that it is a bit messed up,” Turner said. “I want to be very clear. We have found no evidence of malfeasance.”
He added that problems stem from staff turnover and inconsistent experience in key positions.
“It’s like a ball of yarn, and some threads are just not going to be unraveled,” Turner said. “They traced what they could trace. Where Elgin is, you don’t want anybody learning on the job.”
Although audit reports show that revenues and expenses are generally aligned, according to Turner, internal misapplication of funds created some accounting complications that could take up to two years to resolve. A final audit report is expected within three months.
To prevent similar issues, Turner said the city is promoting an existing staff member to a senior accountant position and has frozen new spending until the budget picture is clearer. The city has not decided whether to pursue a forensic audit, which could detect fraud but would not resolve current bookkeeping challenges.
“If we don’t start unraveling that ball of yarn and get to the middle, y’all aren’t going to be able to hire a finance director,” resident Stephanie Lippke said. “Nobody wants to inherit that ball of yarn.”
According to McShan, the city has only received 15 applications for its vacant finance director position — a critical job Elgin has struggled to keep filled. Turner acknowledged that salary likely plays a role in the difficulty.
POLLUTION CONCERNS
Councilwoman Joy Casnovsky addressed ongoing complaints about odors from Darling Ingredients, a local rendering facility. In February, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality fined the company nearly $40,000 for excessive hydrogen sulfide emissions.
“What’s troubling to me is that even though they have received the fine, the nuisance of the odor has continued,” Casnovsky said. “A lot of times there is this terrible, terrible stench that makes it so you have to go inside. For me, that is a terrible quality of life.”
Hydrogen sulfide is a toxic gas that accumulates in low-lying areas and can cause headaches, eye irritation and, at higher concentrations, unconsciousness or death, according to officials.
Casnovsky said she is forming a group of community volunteers to help hold the facility south of the city accountable and encouraged residents to report odors both to TCEQ and the company’s complaint line. To file a complaint, email [email protected]. To report odors directly, call 512-772-4527.
