Fair Water Amendment headed to November ballot after City Council vote

By Natalia Osuna

KIII-TV

August 11, 2026

A citizen-led charter amendment that could change what some of Corpus Christi’s largest water users pay during drought conditions will appear on the November ballot after City Council approved it on Tuesday.

The council voted 6-2 to put the Fair Water Amendment before voters. Council members Mark Scott and Roland Barrera voted against the ordinance, while the rest of the council voted in favor.

Much of the discussion centered on whether the city charter requires the council to place the measure on the ballot after organizers collected and validated enough voter signatures.

Grassroots organizers gathered and validated more than 12,000 voter signatures in June, which is enough to trigger a charter election under normal city rules.

The Fair Water Amendment aims to end the city’s drought surcharge exemption fee program.

The program allows industrial water users to pay the city a monthly fee. That money goes toward water projects and infrastructure, while the participating users are exempt from paying drought surcharges.

The proposed amendment would eliminate that program, leaving voters to decide whether it should continue.

Before Tuesday’s vote, Interim City Attorney Buck Brice advised council members that the amendment should be classified as a “climate charter.” Under that classification, the measure would require approval from the Texas Legislature before it could be placed on a local ballot. 

Armon Alex, Director of the Fair Water Amendment, gave a message to council members before the vote.

“The Texas Secretary of State has said that there possibly is an argument, but it would be ultimately left up to the decision of the city council not the city attorney,” Alex said. “Ultimately what we're anticipating is this also being a voting rights issue.”

Dr. Isabel Araiza with For The Greater Good, another organization involved in the petition effort, previously told 3NEWS that if city leaders used Senate Bill 1860 to prevent thousands of local voters from deciding the issue, her organization was prepared to pursue legal action. However, after Tuesday's vote, that will no longer be necessary.

The Fair Water Amendment will now head to the November ballot, giving Corpus Christi voters the opportunity to decide whether to end the city’s drought surcharge exemption fee program. 3NEWS will continue to give updates as they become available.