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.