For purposes of this article, the following definitions shall apply:
City official.
Includes the mayor, all city council members, the city manager, the assistant city manager, any city division head, the city clerk, the municipal court judge, the city attorney, and all members of such committees, commissions and boards appointed by the city council.
Colleague.
A fellow city official.
Ethics statutes.
The former Texas Open Records Act (currently V.T.C.A., Government Code, chapter 552), the Texas Open Meetings Act (V.T.C.A., Government Code, chapter 551), and the conflict of interest statute (V.T.C.A., Local Government Code chapter 171), as currently in effect, or as hereafter amended.
(Ordinance 020820 adopted 8/20/02; Ordinance 2018-05, sec. 4, adopted 4/3/18)
(a) 
City officials should strive, as appropriate opportunities arise, to support and enhance the credibility of a colleague with the city council, city staff, and community.
(b) 
City officials should share knowledge and expertise with a colleague that would aid the progress of the city policy development process.
(c) 
City officials should provide, whenever possible, important information to a colleague so as to increase the likelihood of sound decision-making.
(d) 
City officials should exercise discretion in the use of confidential information provided by a colleague.
(e) 
City officials should appropriately recognize another colleague’s work.
(f) 
City officials should advise, when appropriate, colleagues when approached about the colleague’s performance by the press.
(g) 
City officials should not utilize the press to bring attention to or degrade a fellow colleague whose opinions might differ from his or her own.
(Ordinance 020820 adopted 8/20/02)
No city official shall knowingly solicit or accept, from any source, any gift, favor, service, or thing of value, including a promise of future employment, in consideration for the city official’s exercise of any official power or performance of any official duty on behalf of the city.
(Ordinance 020820 adopted 8/20/02)
No city official shall knowingly use city property, facilities, personnel, equipment, or supplies, or utilize any confidential information concerning the property, operations, policies or affairs of the city, for private financial gain.
(Ordinance 020820 adopted 8/20/02)
No city official shall knowingly be an interested party to any exchange, purchase, or sale of property, goods, or services to the city, or enter into any contract with the city, except in full and impartial compliance with statutes, the city charter, and ordinances and regulations applicable thereto; provided further that such persons shall receive no favor or special concession or inducement not customarily available and granted by the city in such a transaction; and provided further that any discretion by officers or employees of the city, in connection with any such transaction, shall be exercised impartially and upon the same standards applied to all city citizens.
(Ordinance 020820 adopted 8/20/02)
No city official, during his or her incumbency, shall knowingly represent, directly or indirectly, another person, or any group or entity, in any action or proceeding against the interests of the city or in any litigation in which the city or any department, agency, commission or board thereof is a party.
(Ordinance 020820 adopted 8/20/02)
No city official during his or her incumbency shall knowingly represent, directly or indirectly, another person, or any group or entity, in any action or proceeding in the municipal court of this city which was instituted by a city officer or employee in the course of official duties, or in any criminal proceeding in which any city officer or employee is a material witness for the prosecution.
(Ordinance 020820 adopted 8/20/02)
If any city official has a personal financial interest, direct or indirect, in any matter pending before such officer or employee, or the city council, or a department, agency, commission, or board of which the city official is a member, then the city official shall not render any decision and shall abstain from voting upon the matter, unless otherwise permitted under chapter 171 of the Local Government Code, and shall publicly disclose the fact of such interest in the applicable permanent city files or minutes prior to any consideration or determination of the matter.
(Ordinance 020820 adopted 8/20/02)
The city council shall not approve or award any bid or contract for the city’s purchase of goods or services from any person, group or entity which, within the six months prior to such award or approval, has hired a person who, at any time within such six-month period, was either a member of the city council or the chief or assistant administrator of any city department or agency that had direct or indirect review or consideration, or recommending or approval authority, for the award of such bid or contract.
(Ordinance 020820 adopted 8/20/02)
(a) 
Prior to the ethics review of each year, the city clerk shall make available to each city official designated in this article a copy of the text of the ethics ordinance and statutes. Each city official shall file with the city clerk a signed affidavit in which the city official acknowledges the existence of the ethics ordinances and statutes and pledges to abide by the terms of these ethics statutes as long as the city official holds the city official’s office or position with the city. The sworn affidavits of all city officials shall immediately be placed on file for public inspection.
(b) 
After the conclusion of the elections and at such time reasonably soon thereafter, the city attorney shall conduct one or more seminars devoted to educating city officials on the meaning and legal significance of the ethics statutes. Every city official shall attend at least one seminar within a year after assuming office and thereafter shall attend at least one seminar annually or be subject to the penalties set forth in this article.
(Ordinance 020820 adopted 8/20/02; Ordinance 2018-05, sec. 5, adopted 4/3/18)
The failure of a city official to comply with or the violation by such city official of any of the applicable standards of conduct set forth herein shall constitute, in addition to any other penalties and forfeitures that may be provided by law or city ordinance, grounds for public censure and reprimand by the city council. Such censure and/or reprimand shall be made only upon the affirmative vote of all members of the city council, excluding only those council members who are the subject of any ethics violation inquiry.
(Ordinance 020820 adopted 8/20/02)