All records and accounts of every office, department or agency
of the city shall be open to inspection by any citizen, any representative
of a citizen’s organization or any representative of the press
at all reasonable times.
No member of the council or any officer or employee of the city
shall have a financial interest direct or indirect in any contract
by or with the city. The council shall never authorize the expenditure
of public funds for the development of a privately owned sub-division
outside of the City Limits of Cameron. Any willful violation of this
section shall constitute malfeasance in office and any officer or
employee of the city found guilty thereof shall thereby forfeit his
office or position. Any violation of this section with the knowledge
expressed or implied of the person or corporation contracting with
the city shall render the contract voidable by the council.
Every officer of the city shall, before entering upon the duties
of his office, take and subscribe to the following oath or affirmation,
to be filed and kept in the off [office] of the city secretary:
“I, __________, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will
faithfully execute the duties of the office of __________ of the City
of Cameron, State of Texas, and will to the best of my ability preserve,
protect and defend the constitution and laws of the United States
and of this state and the Charter and ordinances of this city; and
I, furthermore, solemnly swear (or affirm), that I have not directly
or indirectly paid, offered or promised any public office or employment,
as a reward for the giving or withholding a vote at the election at
which I was elected, or if the office is one of appointment, to secure
the appointment, So help me God.”
The council shall require a surety bond from each officer of
the city and may require bond from any city employee in amounts to
be fixed by the council, and pay the premium therefor. The council
shall be authorized to discharge at any time any officer, employee
or clerk which it appoints except the city judge.
The city council shall have full power and authority to zone
the city of Cameron and to pass all necessary ordinances, rules, and
regulations governing the same under and by virtue of the authority
given to cities and legislative bodies thereof by Sections A and H
of Article 1011 of the 1925 Revised Civil Statutes of Texas as amended,
being Acts of 1927 40th Legislature, page 424, chapter 283, and all
amendments thereof and amendments which may hereafter be made thereto.
The council shall have authority to provide the rules and regulations
for maintaining employees and volunteer firemen when injured and disabled
while performing their duties or it may provide for such plan of insurance,
as it deems proper. The council may establish a pension plan of pension
to any employee who has been continuously employed by the city for
twenty-five years and who shall have reached the age of sixty, whichever
come later or may adopt in lieu thereof any pension system available
to cities under State law. The amount of said pension shall be graded
and proportioned to the average salary received by the employee during
the whole period of his employment. All those falling under the head
of employees in this Charter and who are employed by the city when
the same takes effect, shall be entitled to a credit for the years
of continuous service heretofore served.
All ordinances, resolutions, rules and regulations now in force
under the city government of the city of Cameron and not in conflict
with the provisions of this Charter shall remain in force under this
Charter until altered, amended or repealed by the council after this
Charter takes effect; and all rights of the city of Cameron under
existing franchises and contracts are preserved in full force and
effect to the city of Cameron, and any unissued bonds and revenue
bonds, or installments thereof, heretofore authorized at an election
held in said city shall not be affected by the adoption of this Charter,
but the right to sell, issue and deliver same, in whole or in part,
in keeping with the provisions of the laws under which they were voted
is hereby expressly reserved.
Amendments to this Charter may be framed and submitted to the
voters of the city by a charter commission in the manner provided
by State law.
If any section or part of section of this Charter shall be held
invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, such holding shall not
affect the remainder of this Charter nor the content in which such
section or part of section so held invalid may appear, except to the
extent that an entire section or part of section may be inseparably
connected in meaning and effect with the section or part of section
to which such holding shall directly apply.
There shall be a city depository selected by the city council
from time to time and in the manner provided by Articles 2559 through
2566a, both inclusive.[,] Revised Civil Statutes of Texas (1925) and
all amendments thereof and amendments which may hereafter be made
thereto.
The council shall by ordinance on or before the beginning of
each fiscal year select a newspaper published in the city of Cameron
in the English language as the official newspaper of the city and
shall by such ordinance declare it to be such for ensuing fiscal year.
Any such newspaper so selected shall be published no less than once
each week and shall be a newspaper of general circulation in the city.
Whenever in this Charter the singular is used, the plural shall
be included; whenever the masculine gender is used, the feminine and
neuter shall be included. Whenever the terms “councilman”,
“councilmen”, or “council person” are used,
the term “council member” should be substituted.