The petition drive that would compel the Kingsville City Commission to call a charter amendment election to expand the present fourmember city commission and mayor to seven city commission members and eliminate the election of the mayor by the voters, won’t be completed in time to be on the May 8 city election ballot.

“We are not going to make the May ballot because we decided to take our time talking to people so they could fully understand what we are doing,” Tamera Meyers Blackstock, president of the local police union, said.

The Kingsville Law Enforcement Association is spearheading the petition drive.

The deadline was 60 days before the May election, according to Blackstock.

“We are really close to getting the signatures required but are verifying them,” Blackstock said, but she did not want to reveal the number of signatures that have already been acquired.

Petition organizers hope to get the proposed charter amendment on the November ballot.

The goal of the organizers was to acquire 560 signatures on the petition to be able to place the charter amendment on the next city elections ballot Blackstock had said in an earlier statement.

“It has been a pleasant experience visiting with the people,” she said.

The proposed charter amendment would require the city to be divided into seven districts with a city commission member elected from each district.

The mayor and mayor protem would then be elected

Petition from among the seven city commission members by a majority of the city commission.

The first election of a seven-member city commission would be held in 2012 and initially three of the members would serve two-year terms and four of the members would serve three-year terms, determined by a drawing.

After that all city commission members would serve three years with commissioners being elected in staggered terms.

City commission candidates would have to live in their respective districts for 12 months in order to qualify

for the office.

All seven members would

candidate ineligibility be required to vote on all issues that came before the city commission unless there was a conflict of interest involving one or more city commission members.

The present city commission members run at large every two years and the top four who receive the most votes are elected.

The mayor is also chosen by the voters.

However, the mayor pro-tem is chosen by the city commission, and traditionally the highest polling city commissioner is designated as mayor protem.

The four city commissioners and mayor each have one vote on the city

commission, and like the

proposed charter amendment,

ineligibility the four commissioners and mayor must vote on all issues unless there is a state conflicted of interest.

Any charter amendment changing the way voters choose their city representatives would have to comply with state and federal laws.

Voters will still go to the polls on May 8 to choose the next Kingsville City Commission.

Tomas Sanchez is the only candidate challenging the incumbent commissioners for a seat on the city commission.

Candidates will appear on the ballot as follows:

Mayor: Sam R. Fugate;

Commissioners: Al Garcia,

Charlie Wilson, Tomas R.

Sanchez, Jr., Arturo Pecos,

clarified Stanley Laskowski.