City should have a penalty for candidates misrepresenting residency

Last week, the San Antonio City Council voted to amend the City Code regarding residency verification
requirements for candidates for municipal election. The new amendment increases the residency documentation requirements of filing for city elective office.

While the change is an improvement, it lacks teeth to prevent a candidates from lying about where they live.

The changes would be much more effective if there were a penalty for ‘misrepresenting’  their residency for City Council elections. The City should request the items for documentation and have a $500-1000 fine for those filing who are found to not be a residents of the district. This way candidates like Manny Paleaz, who lived in District 9 but ran for District 8, and Lynlie Wallace, who lived in Austin but ran for District 9, would be fined $500 or $1000 for misrepresenting their residency.

To read more from the Rivard Report, click here.