The inhabitants of the city of Cameron, within the corporate limits as now established or as hereafter established in manner provided by this charter, shall continue to be a municipal body politic and corporate in perpetuity, under the name of the “City of Cameron.”
The boundaries of the city shall be those established by ordinances of the city council. The city secretary shall keep a correct and complete description of the city boundaries indicating all annexations and disannexations.
The governing body of the city of Cameron shall be a mayor-council composed of five (5) council members elected from single member districts, a sixth council member elected at large from the city of Cameron and a ceremonial mayor elected at large from the city of Cameron, Texas. As hereinafter used in the Charter, the word council shall be construed to mean a mayor and six council members. Pursuant to its provisions and subject only to the limitations imposed by the state constitution and by this Charter, all powers of the city shall be vested in the elected council which shall enact local legislation, adopt budgets, determine policies and execute the laws and administer the government of the city. All powers of the city shall be exercised in the manner prescribed by the Charter, or if the manner be not prescribed then in such manner as may be prescribed by ordinance.
The use of the term ceremonial mayor shall not be construed to prohibit the mayor from voting upon all matters considered by the council, in case of a tie vote. The five single member districts hereinafter described and delineated in this ordinance may have their boundaries periodically adjusted by the council in accordance with subsequently acquired population information from the United States Bureau of the Census. Said boundary adjustments, if necessary, to be made by the council, without the requirement or necessity of submitting said boundary adjustments to a vote of the voters.
The city shall have all the powers granted to municipal corporations and to cities by the constitution and laws of the state of Texas, together with all the implied powers necessary to carry into execution all the powers granted. The city may acquire property within or without its corporate limits for any city purpose in fee simple or any lesser interest or estate, by purchase, gift, devise, lease, or condemnation, and may sell, lease, mortgage, hold, manage and control such property as its interests may require; and, except as prohibited by the constitution of this state or restricted by this charter, the city shall and may exercise all municipal powers, functions, rights, privileges and immunities of every name and nature whatsoever. The city may use a corporate seal; may sue and be sued, may contract and be contracted with; may implead and be impleaded in all courts and places and in all matters whatever; may cooperate with the government of the state of Texas or any agency thereof, the Federal Government or any agency thereof, or any political subdivision of the State of Texas, to accomplish any lawful purpose for the advancement of the interest, welfare, health, morals, comfort, safety and convenience of the city or its inhabitants; and may pass such ordinances as may be expedient for maintaining and promoting the peace, welfare and government of the city, and for the performance of the functions thereof. The enumeration of particular powers by this charter shall not be deemed to be exclusive, and in addition to the powers enumerated therein or implied thereby, or appropriate to the exercise of such powers it is intended that the city of Cameron shall have and may exercise, all powers of local self-government, and all powers enumerated in Chapter 13, Title 28, Article 1175 of the revised Civil Statutes of the State of Texas, of 1925, and amendments thereto and hereafter enacted, or any other powers which, under the constitution and laws of the State of Texas, it would be competent for this charter specifically to enumerate.
Before the city shall be liable to damage claim or suit for personal injury or damage to property, the person who is injured or whose property is damaged or someone in his behalf shall file with the city secretary notice in writing within 90 days after the occurring of the alleged injury of damage, stating specifically in such notice when, where and how the injury or damage was sustained, and setting forth the extent of the injury or damage as accurately as possible. No action at law for damages shall be brought against the city for personal injury or damage to property prior to the expiration of sixty days after the notice hereinbefore described has been filed with the city secretary. The notice and statement provided for in this Section shall constitute an offer in compromise on the part of the claimant and shall never be taken as an admission against said claimant of any fact or opinion stated therein or be introduced into evidence for any purpose, except to prove jurisdiction of the court, in any suit brought by the claimant, his or her heirs, executors, administrators or assigns, against the city, its assignees, successors or its or their employees or agents, their heirs, administrators, executors or assigns.
The city shall have the full right, power and authority to exercise the power of eminent domain when necessary or desirable to carry out any of the powers conferred upon it by this charter or by the constitution or laws of the State of Texas. In all cases where the city seeks to exercise the power of eminent domain, it may be controlled, as nearly as practicable, by the laws governing the condemnation of property by railroad corporations in this state, the city taking the position of the railroad corporation in any such case. The city may also exercise the power of eminent domain in any other manner authorized or permitted by the constitution and laws of this state. The power of eminent domain hereby conferred shall include the right of the city to take the fee in the lands so condemned and such power and authority shall include the right to condemn public property for such purposes. The city shall have and possess this power of condemnation for any municipal or public purpose, even though not specifically enumerated herein or in this Charter.
The city of Cameron shall have the power to lay out, establish, open, alter, widen, lower, extend, grade, abandon, discontinue, abolish, close, care for, pave, supervise, maintain and improve streets, alleys, sidewalks, parks, squares, public places, and bridges; and regulate the use thereof and require the removal from streets, alleys, sidewalks, parks, other public property or places of all obstructions and encroachments of every nature or character upon any of said streets, sidewalks, alleys and other public properties.
The city of Cameron shall have exclusive dominion, control and jurisdiction in, upon and over and under the public streets, avenues, alleys and highways of the city, and may provide for the improvement thereof by paving, repaving, raising, draining or otherwise. The provisions of Chapter 106, Fortieth Legislature, First Called Session, Acts 1927, together with existing amendments and all such amendments as hereinafter may be made, are expressly adopted and made a part of this Charter. Such exclusive dominion, control and jurisdiction in, upon, over and under the public streets, avenues, alleys and highways of the city shall also include, but not be limited to, the right to regulate, locate, relocate, remove, or prohibit the location of all utility pipes, lines, wires, or other property.
Whenever a majority of the qualified voters who are citizens of the State of Texas and inhabitants of any territory adjoining Cameron, as said territory may be designated by the city council or in case there are no qualified voters in said territory, then when persons owning a majority of land in area in said territory desires the annexation of such territory to Cameron, they may present a written petition to that effect to the city council and shall attach to said petition the affidavit of one or more of their number to the effect that said petition is signed by a majority of such qualified voters, or in case there are no qualified voters said affidavit shall be to the effect that there are no qualified voters in said territory; and that the persons signing said petition own a majority of the land in area in said territory, and thereupon the city council at regular sessions held not sooner than twenty days after the presentation of said petition may by ordinance annex such territory to Cameron and thenceforth the said territory shall be a part of Cameron, and the inhabitants thereof shall be entitled to all of the rights and privileges of other citizens and shall be bound by the acts, ordinances, resolutions and regulations of said city.
The city council shall have power by ordinance to fix the boundary limits of Cameron; and to provide for the extension of said boundary limits and annexation of additional territory lying adjacent to said city, with or without the consent of the territory and inhabitants annexed. Upon the introduction of such an ordinance in the city council, it shall be published in the official newspaper in Cameron one time, and shall not thereafter be finally acted upon until at least thirty days have elapsed after the first publication thereof. Any citizen of Cameron, or of the territory to be annexed, shall have the right to contest said annexation by filing with the city council a written petition setting out their reasons for said contest, and after such citizen or citizens shall have been given an opportunity to be heard, said ordinance, in original or amended form, as said city council in its judgment may determine, shall be finally passed, and the territory so annexed shall be a part of Cameron, and the inhabitants thereof shall be entitled to all rights and privileges of other citizens and shall be bound by the acts, ordinances, resolutions and regulations of said city.
The city shall have the power to provide for a sanitary sewer system and to require property owners to connect their premises with such sewer system; and to provide for fixing penalties for failure to make sanitary sewer connections and shall further, have the right to fix charges and compensation to be charged by the city for sewage service, providing rules and regulations for the collection thereof.
The city shall have the power to define all nuisances and prohibit the same within the city and outside the city limits for a distance of 5,000 feet; to have power to police all parks, grounds and boulevards owned by said city and lying outside of said city, to prohibit the pollution of any stream, drain or tributaries, thereof, which may constitute the source of water supply of the city and to provide for policing the same as well as to provide for the protection of any water sheds and the policing of same; to inspect dairies, slaughter pens, and slaughter houses inside and outside the limits of the city, from which meat or milk is furnished to the inhabitants of the city of Cameron.