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.