The municipal government for the City of Celina shall be a “Council-Manager
Government.” Except as otherwise provided by this Charter and
the Constitution and laws of the state of Texas, all powers conferred
on the City shall be exercised by a City Council to be composed of
a Mayor and six (6) Council Members in places 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6
elected by qualified voters for a term of three (3) years. There shall
be no limits on the number of successive terms the Mayor or Council
Members may serve.
The City of Celina shall be a Home Rule City under the Constitution
and laws of the state of Texas and shall have all powers, functions,
rights, privileges, and immunities of every kind and nature granted
to a Home Rule City under Article XI, Section 5, of the Constitution
of the state of Texas, known as the Home Rule Amendment, and all other
laws passed by the Legislature of the state of Texas relating thereto,
or which may hereafter be passed by said Legislature in relation to
such matters including, but not limited to the following powers:
(1) To assess,
levy, and collect taxes for general and special purposes on all lawful
subjects of taxation.
(2) To fix
and regulate the rates of gas, water, electricity, and other utilities,
and to regulate and fix the fares, tolls, and charges of local telephones
and exchanges, public carriers and motor vehicles where they are transporting
passengers, freight or baggage, and generally to fix and regulate
the rates, tolls, or charges and the kind of service of all public
utilities of every kind, unless otherwise required by State law.
(3) To sue
and be sued, to contract and be contracted with, to buy, sell, lease,
mortgage, hold, manage, and control such property as its interests
require.
(4) To make
and enforce all police, health, sanitary and other regulations, and
pass such ordinances as may be expedient for maintaining and promoting
the peace, good government, and welfare of the City, for the performance
of the functions thereof, for the order and security of its inhabitants,
and to protect the peace, lives, health, and property of such inhabitants,
and to provide suitable penalties for the violation of any ordinance
enacted by the City.
(5) To borrow
money on the faith and credit of the City by the issue or sale of
bonds, warrants, certificates of obligation, notes or other securities
authorized by the laws of the state of Texas.
(6) To acquire,
by purchase, gift or devise, or by the exercise of the right of condemnation,
and own, in fee simple or otherwise, either public or private property
located inside or outside of the corporate limits of the City for
the extension, improvement and enlargement of its waterworks system,
including riparian rights, water supply reservoirs, stand pipes, watersheds,
dams, and the laying, building, maintenance and construction of water
mains, rights-of-way in connection therewith, and the laying, erection,
establishment or maintenance of any necessary appurtenances or facilities
which will furnish to the inhabitants of the City an abundant supply
of wholesome water; for sewerage plants and systems; rights-of-way
for water and sewer lines; parks, playgrounds, fire stations, police
stations, incinerators or other garbage disposal plants; streets,
boulevards, and alleys or other public ways; municipal buildings,
garages and parking facilities, or any rights-of-way needed in connection
with any property used for any purpose hereinabove named; for the
straightening or improving of the channel of any stream, branch or
drain or for any other municipal or public purpose though not specifically
enumerated in this Charter.
(7) To institute
and prosecute suits without giving security therefor, and appeal from
judgments of the courts without giving supersedeas or cost bonds,
other bonds or security whatsoever.
(8) To have
the exclusive right to erect, own, maintain and operate a waterworks
and sanitary system for the use of said City and its inhabitants and
to regulate the same, including the right to prescribe rates for water
and sanitary sewer services, and to make such rules and regulations
as the council may deem expedient, including the power to extend water
and sanitary sewer lines and assess a portion or all of the cost therefore
and affix a lien against the property and the owner thereof, and do
anything whatsoever necessary to operate and maintain said waterworks
and to compel the owners of all property and the agents of such owners
to pay all charges for water and sanitary sewer services furnished.
(9) To acquire
property within or without its boundaries or within boundaries of
other municipalities for any public purpose, in fee simple or lesser
interest or estate, by purchase, gift, devise, lease, or condemnation
when necessary or desirable to carry out any of the powers conferred
upon it by this Charter or by the Constitution and the laws of the
state of Texas.
(10) To
sell, lease, hold, manage, control and police any property now owned
by it or which it may hereafter acquire, and shall have the right
to lease or let its property whether inside or outside of the corporate
limits of the City subject to any limitations set forth in state law
or this Charter.
(11) To
lay out, open, close, establish, alter, widen, lower, extend, grade,
supervise, maintain, and improve streets, alleys, and parks, and to
regulate the use thereof and require removal of all obstructions or
encroachments of every nature and character upon said public streets,
sidewalks or other public property.
(12) To
create offices, determine the method for selection of officers, and
prescribe the qualifications, duties, and tenure of office for officers.
(13) To
appropriate the money of the City for all lawful purposes to create,
for, construct, regulate, and maintain public works, public improvements
of any nature, economic development and to furnish municipal services
as may be provided by resolution or ordinance of the City Council,
or as required by law.
(Amended 5/7/16)
The enumeration of particular powers in the Charter shall not
be held or deemed to be exclusive, but in addition to the powers enumerated
herein, implied thereby, or appropriate to the exercise thereof, the
City shall have and may exercise all other powers which under the
Constitution and laws of the state of Texas it would be competent
for the Charter specifically to enumerate.