CONROE, Texas — Firefighters in Conroe are suing the city after officials refused to place a collective bargaining measure on the ballot, arguing the rejection violates state law and the will of local voters.
According to the lawsuit, Conroe firefighters say they submitted about 3,650 voter signatures on Dec. 12, which they argue is well above the 2,022 signatures required under Texas Local Government Code Chapter 174. Firefighters say that threshold is based on five percent of qualified voters who cast ballots in the November 2024 general election.
City leaders rejected the petition, arguing it required far more signatures — a dispute that now sits at the center of the legal challenge. Firefighters allege the city demanded as many as 20,000 signatures, a figure they say is not supported by state law…