The first day to file for candidates who wish to run for the District 6 Georgetown City Council seat is Wednesday, July 28. The filing deadline is Aug. 16.

City Council passed a resolution at its regular meeting Tuesday to call for a special election on Nov. 2 to fill the District 6 vacancy on the council created when Rachael Jonrowe resigned on July 6.

Completed applications for candidacy should be submitted at City Hall, 808 Martin Luther King Jr. St. To see maps of council districts, go to maps.georgetown.org.

Georgetown City Council members serve three-year terms representing one of seven single-member districts. A candidate for City Council must be at least 18 years of age on the first day of the term of office and a citizen and qualified voter of the state of Texas and the City of Georgetown. Candidates for council district seats must be a resident of the council district the member would be representing for a period of six months as of the last legal date for filing.

The last day to register to vote for the November election is Oct. 4.

Early in-person voting is Oct. 18-29. Early voting and Election Day polling places, dates, and times will be listed at wilco.org/elections.

For details about the city election, go to government.georgetown.org/city-secretary/elections.

The City of Georgetown is creating a Civic Leadership Academy to educate, connect, and inspire leaders to develop a strong commitment to community service for the greater good of Georgetown.

The academy will provide a learning experience for existing and emerging leaders to understand City services and functions while building the skills and knowledge to succeed in City leadership roles. Participants of the program are given the opportunity to develop an understanding of the promises and challenges facing our community, as well as their role as future City leaders.

The eight month program will meet from 2-6 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month, except for the first class, which will meet Sept. 30.

Applications will be accepted through Sept. 15.

To be eligible to attend, participants should be a resident of the City of Georgetown and be able to attend 6 out of 8 sessions.

Benefits of participating in the program include:

• an enhanced understanding of Georgetown local government, community challenges, and decision-making
• relationships with other community and local government leaders
• insight into how to use data to articulate challenges and advocate for resources for your community
• an in-depth look at how the City works and develop specialized knowledge about the City’s departments and programs
• information about how to become an effective community leader

To learn more and apply, visit government.georgetown.org/georgetown-civic-leadership-academy.

Georgetown District 6 Council Member Rachael Jonrowe has resigned from her seat effective July 6, 2021. She cited personal reasons for her decision when she announced her intention to resign in June.

“Serving on behalf of the residents of District 6 for the last 10 [plus] years has been the honor of a lifetime, and I look forward to being able to continue to connect and serve with many of them, as a friend, in the years ahead,” Jonrowe posted to her official Facebook page Tuesday. “I wish everyone full measures of grace, empathy, and wisdom, as our community continues to deliberate, debate, and vote on issues of vital importance to the current generation and those to come. And I encourage us all to actively search out opportunities to include people with different experiences and points of view in these decisions. I believe we all benefit when we do so…and listen to their voices.”

Jonrowe was serving her fourth term on City Council, after being most recently reelected in November 2020. The City Charter and the Texas Constitution require a special election within 120 days of a vacancy, which coincides with the Nov. 2, 2021, election.

“While I was surprised and saddened by Jonrowe’s resignation from City Council, I fully support her decision to prioritize her family and her health,” Mayor Josh Schroeder said. “I thank her for her service to this community and wish her well in her future endeavors. I know that she will remain an active participant in Georgetown. I look forward to working with the next representative of District 6.”

Jonrowe served on multiple boards during her time on the council, including the boards for the Georgetown Transportation Enhancement Corporation, the Downtown Georgetown tax increment reinvestment zone board, the Transportation Advisory Board, and the Animal Shelter Advisory Board. As a volunteer in the community, she has helped organize letter-writing, voter registration, and get-out-the-vote drives and works to encourage greater diversity and participation in local government.

While a City Council member, Jonrowe was committed to encouraging more people to “be aware of who their representatives are, get involved, and encourage accountability and transparency.” She said her personal goal, as an elected representative, was to do her part to make sure decisions made at City Council reflected the needs and desires of her district and benefited the people of Georgetown.

Jonrowe was born and raised in Austin and moved to Georgetown in May 2006. Jonrowe and her husband, Brian, have four children, and she is a co-owner of Lark & Owl Booksellers, 205 Sixth St., Ste. 101.

Georgetown City Council will host a public hearing July 13 during its regular meeting to get feedback on proposed amendments to the City’s charter.

The City Charter is the legal document establishing a municipality and defines the structure, powers, functions, and procedures of local government.

City Staff and members of the council-appointed Charter Review Committee identified several potential charter amendments, which were presented to the council at its May 25 workshop for discussion and direction from City Council. Direction from the council was sent back to the committee for consideration and to be drafted into a final report that outlined the committee’s recommendations to the council.

At its June 8 meeting, City Council reviewed the committee’s final recommendations and gave its recommendations for charter amendments.

Proposed amendments include changes related to:

1. Term limits
2. Council qualifications
3. Council vacancies
4. Rules of procedures
5. Procedures to enact legislation
6. Franchise agreement notifications
7. Public lead initiative, referendum, and recall requirements
8. City structure language

Details of proposed changes can be found at Georgetown.org/2021-charter-amendment-election.

The council is expected to consider the first reading to call a charter amendment election at its July 27 meeting. The second reading would be Aug. 10.

If approved, the charter amendments would be on the Nov. 2 ballot. Early voting and Election Day information will be listed at wilco.org/elections.