F'wood City Council nixes English-only measure

Looks like the end of the road for Friendswood's attempt to make English the city's official language: Last night, the City Council voted 5-2 not to include the measure on the May 12 municipal ballot. The idea, you'll remember, came about in November when a Friendswood resident tried (unsuccessfully) to communicate with a Spanish-speaking crew trimming trees near his house — that prompted the City Council to consider a measure requiring all city employees to speak English, but councilmembers later swapped that out for a proposed city charter amendment that would make English the city's official language. City Councilman Chris Peden, who insists that the measure was never an issue of "English only," asked that the amendment be placed on the ballot and said he wasn't upset that it didn't make it: "[The other councilmembers] voted their conscience," he told the Chronicle. "They did what they felt was right. I don't have a problem with that, honestly."

The interesting thing about the amendment is, as Councilwoman Laura Ewing pointed out, that it seemed sort of pointless because English is already the language used in Friendswood's city business. City Council meetings are held in English, ballots are printed in English and people who call City Hall reach receptionists who speak English, she said. That's probably why Peden called the proposal a preventive measure: "Friendswood does not have a language problem in the city now," he said in December. "I want to head this off before we do." (That may also be why Mayor David Smith told KTRK a few days ago that the measure "doesn't mean anything.")

Frank Ortiz, a Friendswood resident and former national vice president of LULAC, had warned that the proposal could draw a lawsuit from LULAC if it passed. As expected, he was happy with yesterday's vote: "I was hoping it would go that way. I've been staying up all night sending e-mails and talking to [councilmembers]," he said. "The status of the English language is not in danger."