Council approves single-member district voting contract

HARLINGEN - City commissioners Tuesday approved a contract that will pay Cameron County to run an election in which residents will decide whether they want a single-member district form of government.

The city will pay the county $55,095 to run the special election Nov. 4, in conjunction with the national general election.

The city will run early voting from Oct. 20-31.

Mayor Chris Boswell urged residents to get informed about the single-member district form of government.

"I would encourage people to get as much information as they can to make an informed decision," Boswell said in an interview after the meeting.

Less than three weeks before early voting, residents are split on whether they'd vote for a single-member district form of government or an alternative, or prefer the current system.

"I think there's mixed views," Boswell said. "There's people for it and people against it and probably a lot of people who don't even know it's going to be on the ballot."

A single-member district form of government would divide the city into five districts from which voters would elect a city commissioner. Under the system, the mayor runs at-large.

The election ballot will offer residents a choice between a single-member district form of government or a system in which voters would elect commissioners from three single-member districts and two at-large commissioners.

The current at-large system will remain in place if the proposals fail by more than 50 percent of the vote.