The citizens of the City of Hillsboro, within the corporate
limits as now established or as hereafter established in the manner
provided by law, shall continue to be a municipal body politic and
corporate in perpetuity under the name of the "City of Hillsboro"
with such powers, rights and duties as provided by law and herein.
The municipal government provided by this charter shall be known
as the "Council-Manager Government." Pursuant to its provision and
subject only to the limitations imposed by the State Constitution,
the laws of this state and by this charter, all powers of the city
shall be vested in an elective council hereinafter referred to as
the "city council" or "council," which shall enact local legislation,
adopt budgets, determine policies and appoint the city manager, who
in turn shall be responsible to the city council for the execution
of the laws and the administration of the government of the city.
All powers of the city shall be exercised in the manner prescribed
by this charter, or if the manner be not prescribed, then in such
manner as may be prescribed by ordinance, the State Constitution and/or
laws of this state.
The bounds and limits of the City of Hillsboro, Texas are hereby
established and described as being those boundaries heretofore established
in the original incorporation proceedings of the said City of Hillsboro,
Texas, and those boundaries established and changed thereafter in
all annexation ordinances and proceedings of the City of Hillsboro,
Texas.
The boundaries of the City of Hillsboro may be enlarged and
extended by the annexation of additional territory, irrespective of
size and configuration, in any of the methods hereinafter designated:
(a) Extending limits in accordance with Article 974 of the Revised Civil
Statutes of Texas, as amended: Where such additional territory
adjoins the corporate limits of the city and contains three (3) or
more inhabitants qualified to vote for members of the state legislature,
such adjacent territory may be annexed to the city in the manner and
in conformity with the procedure set forth in Article 974 of the Revised
Civil Statutes of Texas, as amended.
(b) Annexation of unoccupied lands on petition of owners: The
owners or owner of any land which is without residents, or on which
less than three (3) voters reside, contiguous and adjacent to the
city may, by petition in writing to the city council, request the
annexation of such contiguous and adjacent land, describing it by
metes and bounds. The city council shall thereafter, and not less
than five (5) and not more than thirty (30) days after the filing
of such petition, hear such petition and the arguments for and against
the same and grant or refuse such petition as the city council may
see fit. If the city council grants such petition, it may by proper
ordinance receive and annex such territory as part of the city.
(c) Annexation by amendment to charter: The boundary limits
of the city may be fixed and additional territory added or annexed
thereto by amendment to the charter of the city.
(d) Extending limits by action of the city council: The city
council shall have power by ordinance to fix the boundary limits of
the City of Hillsboro and to provide for extension of said boundary
limits and the annexation of additional territory lying adjacent to
said city, with or without the consent of the residents or the owners
of the territory annexed.
(e) Annexation by any other method provided by law: Additional
territory may also be annexed to the city in any manner and by any
procedure that may now be provided by law or that may be hereafter
provided by law or in such manner as shall be provided by ordinances
or resolutions of the city council. Same shall be in addition to the
methods hereinabove provided.
(f) Annexed territory to become part of the city: Upon completion
of any one of the procedures hereinabove provided, the territory so
annexed shall become a part of the city, and said land and its residents
and future residents shall be entitled to all the rights and privileges
of other citizens of the city and shall be bound by the acts, ordinances,
resolutions and regulations of the city.
Whenever there exists within the corporate limits of the City
of Hillsboro any territory not suitable or necessary for city purposes,
and lying adjacent to the corporate limits, the city council may,
upon a petition signed by a majority of the qualified voters residing
in such territory if the same be inhabited, or without any such petition
if the same be uninhabited, by ordinance duly passed, discontinue
said territory as a part of said city; said petition and ordinance
shall specify accurately the metes and bounds of the territory sought
to be eliminated from the city and shall contain a plat designating
such territory so that the same can be definitely ascertained; and
when said ordinance has been duly passed the same shall be entered
upon the minutes and records of said city, and from and after the
entry of such ordinance said territory shall cease to be a part of
said city, but said territory shall still be liable for its pro rata
share of any debts incurred while said area was a part of the city
as though the same had not been excluded from the boundaries of the
city.