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Editor's note–Former section 2.08 pertaining to the city secretary, was renumbered as section 5.11 by Ord. O-846-07 at an election held May 12, 2007, prop. 4, to more accurately reflect the organization structure of the city.
Former section 2.16 pertaining to "interim government" was deleted in its entirety by Ord. O-846-07 at an election held May 12, 2007, prop. 7.
The governing and lawmaking body of the City of Glenn Heights shall consist of a Mayor and six (6) Councilmembers, and said body shall be known as the “City Council of the City of Glenn Heights.” The members of the City Council of the City of Glenn Heights shall be the only elective officers of the City and shall run for office by place and be elected from the City at-large in the manner provided in Article 3, for a term of three (3) years, or until their successors are duly elected and qualified. Beginning in 2013, the General Election in the City of Glenn Heights for the Mayor and Councilmembers shall be held on the uniform election date occurring in November. The terms of office of those Councilmembers whose terms of office would have expired with a regular election in May shall each have their term of office of extended by six (6) months, until the following November. All seven elected positions shall be subject to term limits. No person shall be a member of the City Council for more than three (3) consecutive three-year terms, and any person who does serve as a member of the City Council for three (3) consecutive terms shall not be eligible for election to a position on the City Council until a period of three (3) years has expired from the last date of that person’s service as a member of the City Council. Said Mayor and Councilmembers shall draw no compensation as such for their duties, but shall be reimbursed for any lawful expenditures made in behalf of the City or expenses incurred in the performance of their duties when approved by the Council.
(Amended at election of May 4, 2002; Amended by Ordinance O-09-12 at an election held on May 12, 2012, prop. 1)
No person elected to the City Council shall, during the term for which he/she was elected, be appointed to any office or position in the service of the City. If a member of the Council shall become a candidate for nomination or election to any publicly elected office, other than a position on the City Council, or if any employee or officer other than a member of a City board or commission becomes a candidate for a position on the City Council, he/she shall forfeit his/her place or position with the City effective immediately upon the filing as a candidate for the nomination or election to such public office.
(Amended by Ordinance 728-02 at an election held on May 4, 2002; Amended by Ordinance O-09-12/Res. R-19-12 at an election held on May 12, 2012, prop. 2)
Each of the six (6) Councilmembers and Mayor shall be a citizen of the United States of America and a registered qualified voter of the State of Texas and shall be at least 18 years of age; and shall live within the Corporate Limits of the City of Glenn Heights shall have resided for at least one (1) year preceding the election at which they are candidates within the corporate limits of the City of Glenn Heights, and shall not be in arrears in the payment of any taxes or other liability due the City nor be disqualified by reason of any provision of any other section of this Charter. Each member of the City Council shall have taken the oath of office to qualify to serve in his or her official capacity on the City Council.
A member of the Council ceasing to possess any of the qualifications specified in this section or any other section of this Charter, or convicted of a felony while in office, shall immediately forfeit his office. No member of the Council shall hold any other public office within the city except that of Notary Public or member of the National Guard or naval or military reserve or a retired member of the Armed Forces.
(Amended by Res. R-27-18 at an election held on November 6, 2018, prop. F)
The City Council shall be the judge of the qualifications of its own members, and for such purpose shall have power to subpoena witnesses, require the production of records, conduct an investigation, hold a hearing, and determine by majority vote whether a member is guilty of an infraction for which a member may be censured or removed from office for cause. Cause shall include:
(a) 
knowingly and intentionally violating the provisions of this Charter;
(b) 
official misconduct, which shall be defined as intentional unlawful behavior relating to official duties, including corrupt failure, refusal, or neglect of a duty imposed by law;
(c) 
incompetency, which shall be defined as gross ignorance of official duties; gross carelessness in the discharge of official duties; or inability or unfitness to promptly and properly discharge official duties because of a serious mental or physical defect that did not exist at the time of the officer’s election;
(d) 
intoxication while performing the duties of office by consuming alcoholic beverages or other chemical substances that cause intoxication;
(e) 
unexcused absence from three consecutive regular meetings or five unexcused absences from regular and special meetings within any six month period.
The Council may adopt an ordinance or resolution further specifying the procedure for investigation, notice, hearing, censure, and removal of a council member, and for excuse of absences, as provided herein.
In censuring a Councilmember, the Council shall have the authority to issue a public reprimand or to suspend the member from office for a specific period of time. In the event the Council removes a Councilmember, that member’s seat shall become vacant and may be filled as provided in this Charter.
(Amended by Ordinance O-846-07 at an election held May 12, 2007, prop. 2)
In the event a vacancy occurs in the office of Mayor or Council members from any cause whatsoever, a special election shall be held after the vacancy occurs on the earliest date permitted by state law for the purpose of filling such position for the remainder of the unexpired term.
All powers and authority which are explicitly conferred on or possessed by the City shall be vested in and exercised by the City Council, provided however, that the Council shall have no power to exercise those powers which are expressly conferred upon other City officers by this Charter.
All members of the Council present, including the Mayor, shall vote upon every resolution or ordinance, except where there is a conflict of interest, the reason for which shall be stated concisely in the records.
The Mayor of the City shall preside over the meetings of the City Council and perform such other duties consistent with the office as may be imposed upon him/her by this Charter and the ordinances and resolutions passed in pursuance hereof. He/she may participate in the discussion of all matters coming before the Council and shall be required to vote, but shall have no veto power. He/she shall sign conveyances made or entered into by the City and all bonds issued under the provisions of this Charter. He/she shall be recognized as the official head of the City by the court for the purpose of serving civil process, by the Governor for the purpose of enforcing military law, and on all ceremonial purposes. In time of danger or emergency, the Mayor may with the consent of the Council take command of the police and govern the City by proclamation and maintain order and enforce all laws.
The Mayor Pro Tem shall be elected from among the six (6) Councilmembers shall be selected each year at the first regular meeting following the general city election, and shall in the absence or disability of the Mayor perform all the Mayor’s duties.
(Amended by Ordinance O-846-07 at an election held May 12, 2007, prop. 3)
The City Council shall appoint or remove a City Attorney who shall be duly licensed and admitted to the practice of law by the State of Texas. The City Attorney shall be legal advisor of and attorney for all officers of the City and shall represent the City in all litigation and legal proceedings.
The City Council shall hold two (2) regular meetings in each month, except December, at a time to be fixed by it for such regular meetings. The City Council may hold as many additional meetings during the month as may be necessary for the transaction of the business of the City and its citizens.
(Amended by Ordinance O-846-07 at an election held May 12, 2007, prop. 5)
The City Council shall determine its own rules of procedure and order of business and may compel the attendance of its members. Five (5) members of the City Council shall constitute a quorum to do business however, the affirmative vote of at least four (4) of those attending any meeting at which there is a quorum present shall be necessary to adopt any ordinance or resolution. All meetings of the City Council shall be open to the public, as provided by state law, and minutes of all proceedings shall be kept, to which any citizen may have access at all reasonable times and which shall constitute one of the archives of the City. The vote upon the passage of all ordinances and resolutions shall be taken by ayes and nays made in open meeting by a canvass of the Council, and the vote of each Councilmember shall be entered upon the minutes, and every ordinance or resolution, upon its final passage, shall be recorded in a book kept for that purpose and shall be authenticated by the signature of the presiding officer and the City Secretary.
The City Council shall legislate by ordinance and the enacting clause of every ordinance shall be: “Be it ordained by the City Council of the City of Glenn Heights.” No ordinance may be adopted by the City Council unless the ordinance is considered at two separate meetings of the Council, provided, however, that if two-thirds of the number of Councilmembers in attendance at a meeting at which an ordinance is considered for the first time determine and vote that circumstances involving public urgency or other important public purpose required that the ordinance be adopted after consideration at only one meeting, the ordinance may be adopted following such two-thirds vote.
Every ordinance enacted by the Council shall be signed by the Mayor or Mayor Pro Tem and shall be filed with and recorded by the City Secretary. The descriptive caption of all ordinances enacted by the Council shall be read in open meeting of the Council at one (1) regular or special Council meeting. All ordinances, unless otherwise provided by law or by the terms of such ordinance, shall take effect in accordance with Article 2, Section 2.13.
(Amended by Ordinance O-846-07 at an election held May 12, 2007, prop. 6)
Except as otherwise provided by law, or by this Charter, the City Secretary shall give notice of the enactment of every ordinance imposing any penalty, fine or forfeiture for any violation of any of its provisions and of every other ordinance required by law, or this Charter, to the public, by causing the said ordinance, or its caption and penalty, to be published at least one time after final passage thereof in the official newspaper of the City. The affidavit of such publication by the publisher of such newspaper, taken before any officer authorized to administer oaths, and filed with the City Secretary shall be conclusive proof of the legal publication and promulgation of such ordinance in all courts. Such ordinance shall take effect upon publication as required by law.
All ordinances of the City of Glenn Heights adopted prior to the adoption of this Charter and not inconsistent with the provisions of this Charter shall remain in full force and effect until altered, amended or repealed by the City Council.
All official actions taken by the City of Glenn Heights, its City Councils or other City officials, and all previous elections, contracts, bonds, warrants and other evidences of indebtedness and any annexations, prior to the adoption of this Home Rule Charter, are hereby adopted, validated, confirmed and ratified.
The City Council shall have power to cause the ordinances of the City of Glenn Heights to be printed in code form and shall have the same arranged and digested as often as the Council may deem advisable however, failure to print the ordinances as herein provided shall not affect the validity of same.