(A) 
The Council shall consist of nine (9) members consisting of a Mayor and eight (8) Councilmembers. The Mayor and the eight Councilmembers shall be elected for terms of two (2) years each. The term lengths provided by this paragraph shall become effective upon and after May 15, 2004.
(B) 
The Mayor shall be nominated and elected by the qualified voters of the entire City and may reside anywhere within the City. The eight Councilmembers shall be elected from eight (8) districts established by ordinance and shall be nominated and elected by the qualified voters of the respective Council district of such member.
(C) 
One (1) Councilmember shall be elected from each of the eight districts established by ordinance. The districts shall be designated as District 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. A candidate for Councilmember must at the time of his or her election or appointment have resided continuously within the Council district for which the candidate is running for office, or within the City if he or she is a candidate for Mayor, for a minimum of one (1) year. Failure to continuously reside within the district from which a Councilmember is elected or appointed, other than due to a change resulting from realignment of Council district boundaries, shall constitute immediate termination of office. A person who, by reason of the application of the term limitations provided in subsection (D), below, would not be able to serve a full term of office, is disqualified to be a candidate for or to serve in that office. The provisions of this subsection shall be and become effective on and after May 15, 2018.
(D) 
A person may serve as a member of the Council other than Mayor for three (3) consecutive terms but thereafter shall not again be eligible to serve in any district on the Council except Mayor until at least one complete term has elapsed. A person may serve three (3) consecutive terms as Mayor but thereafter shall not again be eligible to serve as Mayor until at least one complete term has elapsed. A person who has served as Mayor may not serve as a member of the City Council until at least one year has elapsed from the end of the term for which that person was elected. A “"term" as used in this paragraph, shall include any period of service during a term of office when that period is in excess of the time between the annual statutory uniform election dates as set by the State of Texas of the same calendar month in the applicable consecutive years, and a period of service shall be considered "consecutive" so long as the person affected has served any amount of time within the preceding term.
(E) 
In the event the Mayor or a Councilmember vacates his or her office prior to the end of the scheduled term, the Mayor or Councilmember vacating his or her respective office shall not again be eligible to serve on the Council in the same capacity until one complete term subsequent to the term for which he or she was elected or appointed has elapsed.
(F) 
Within one year after a decennial federal census as mandated by Article I, § 2 of the United States Constitution has been performed and finalized, prior to the calling of the regular City election, the Council shall redivide and readjust by ordinance the boundaries of the eight Council districts of the City for the purpose of keeping such districts as nearly equal in population as is practical. Any redivision or readjustment to the district boundaries performed under this section must be in conformance with the following requirements:
(1) 
Equal Population: All districts shall be reasonably equal in population, allowing for minor deviations as needed to achieve other redistricting goals outlined in this Article.
(2) 
Contiguity: Each district shall be contiguous, meaning all parts of a district are connected to each other without crossing over another district.
(3) 
Compactness: Districts shall be drawn to encourage compactness. To the extent practicable, districts shall not have irregularly shaped boundaries or elongated configurations which are indicative of gerrymandering.
(4) 
Respect for Political Subdivisions and Communities: Redistricting shall, to the extent possible, preserve existing neighborhoods, and communities of interest.
(5) 
Non-partisanship: District boundaries shall not be drawn to favor or discriminate against an incumbent, candidate, or political party.
(Ordinance 4184 adopted 2/16/88; Ordinance 4208 adopted 5/10/88; Ordinance 5443 adopted 2/15/00; Ordinance 5463 adopted 5/9/00; Ordinance 5807 adopted 2/17/04; Ordinance 6095, sec. 2, adopted 3/20/07; Ordinance 6131 adopted 5/21/07; Ordinance 6991, props. C–D, adopted 5/15/18; Ordinance 7529 adopted 5/14/2024)
Each member of the Council shall, in addition to the other qualifications prescribed by law, be, at the date of his or her election, a qualified voter of the City and shall not have been previously convicted of a felony or Class A misdemeanor. A member of the Council ceasing to reside in the City or if convicted of a felony or Class A misdemeanor shall immediately forfeit his or her office.
(Ordinance 6095, sec. 2, adopted 3/20/07; Ordinance 6131 adopted 5/21/07; Ordinance 7529 adopted 5/14/2024)
From and after October 1, 2024, the Mayor shall receive compensation in the base amount of six hundred seventy-five dollars ($675.00) per month, and each Councilmember shall receive compensation in the base amount of three hundred forty dollars ($340.00) per month. In addition, all members of the Council shall receive compensation in the amount of eighty-five dollars ($85.00) for each Council work session attended by the member preceding a regular Council meeting, for each regular Council meeting attended, and for up to four (4) special called meetings or workshops of the Council attended. Compensation shall be limited to a maximum of fifty-two (52) meetings during any calendar year. Each Councilmember shall be entitled to reimbursement of reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of their official duties when approved by the Council.
(Ordinance 4763 adopted 4/5/94; Ordinance 4777 adopted 5/10/94; Ordinance 5443 adopted 2/15/00; Ordinance 5463 adopted 5/9/00; Ordinance 6991, prop. E, adopted 5/15/18; Ordinance 7529 adopted 5/14/2024)
The Mayor shall preside at meetings of the Council and shall be recognized as the head of the City government for all ceremonial purposes but shall have no regular administrative duties. He or she shall sign all municipal bonds, deeds of conveyances, vouchers, checks and orders as herein prescribed, and all instruments where the executive head of the City shall be required to act and shall perform all other duties as may be imposed on him or her by law and the ordinances of the City.
The Council shall elect from its members a Mayor Pro Tempore who shall perform the duties of Mayor in case of the absence or disability of the Mayor. The Council shall also elect from its members a Deputy Mayor Pro Tempore who shall perform the duties of the Mayor in case of the absence or disability of both the Mayor and the Mayor Pro Tempore. In the event of the absence of the Mayor, Mayor Pro Tempore, and Deputy Mayor Pro Tempore, the remaining members of the Council shall elect one of the members to act as Mayor.
(Ordinance 7529 adopted 5/14/2024)
(A) 
In the event a vacancy in the office of Mayor or City Council occurs, the City Council shall call a special election in accordance with state law and the Texas Constitution. However, where (i) the member vacating his or her office is unable or unwilling to hold-over until such time as the vacancy may be filled pursuant to a lawful election, (ii) the Governor of the State of Texas does not call an election to fill the vacancy within thirty (30) days of being petitioned by the City to do so, and (iii) a special election cannot be called within 120 days, then the remaining members of the Council may by a three-fourths super-majority vote appoint a qualified person to fill the vacancy.
(B) 
In the event the City Council elects to appoint a qualified person to fill a vacant seat, upon expiration of the partial term for which he or she was appointed, that person shall not again be eligible to serve in the same capacity on Council until one complete subsequent term of office has elapsed. An appointment by Council shall be for an interim term until such time as a special election may be called in accordance with state law and the Texas Constitution or until the current term expires. The Mayor or Councilmember vacating an office shall remain in office, if still qualified, until such time as a successor is sworn into the vacated office.
(Ordinance 4184 adopted 2/16/88; Ordinance 4208 adopted 5/10/88; Ordinance 5807 adopted 2/17/04; Ordinance 6991, prop. F, adopted 5/15/18; Ordinance 7529 adopted 5/14/2024)
Any five (5) members of the Council shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, and the affirmative vote of five (5) members of the Council shall be necessary to take any action in the name of the City or to adopt or repeal any ordinance or resolution.
Voting shall be by “aye” or “no” on roll call. All members of the Council present, including the Mayor (except as herein provided to the contrary), shall vote upon every motion and the vote of each member shall be recorded in the minutes. Any member refusing to vote shall be entered on the record as voting “no.”
The Mayor or two (2) other members of the Council may call special meetings by giving written notice to the City Secretary who shall notify each member of the Council of the time of such meeting and purpose thereof. Only matters mentioned in the call shall be considered.
The Council shall prescribe by ordinance or resolution the time for its regular meetings and there shall not be less than two (2) regular meetings in each calendar month.
Regular meetings of the Council shall be held at City Hall or other location designated by Council within the city limits.
(Ordinance 6991, prop. G, adopted 5/15/18)
At the first regular meeting of the Council in January of each year, the Council shall adopt its own rules and order of business by a majority vote of five (5) of the Council. In the event the Council does not amend the rules and order of business at the first regular meeting, the rules and order of business in effect for the prior year shall be deemed to be adopted by the Council. However, these rules may be amended at any time by a majority vote of five (5) members of the Council. The Council shall cause and require the City Secretary to keep a permanent record or journal reflecting the minutes of these proceedings and the permanent record or journal shall always be open to public inspection. Minutes of all meetings of the Council shall be promptly entered within seventy-two (72) hours in the journal or minute book of the Council and the City Secretary shall at the same time provide a permanent and adequate index showing the action of the Council in regard to all matters submitted to it at both regular and special meetings.
(Ordinance 6991, props. H–I, adopted 5/15/18)
All meetings of the Council shall be conducted in accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Act and the rules of the Council shall provide that citizens of the City shall have a reasonable opportunity to be heard at any such meeting, in regard to any matter then under consideration.
(Ordinance 4402 adopted 2/20/90; Ordinance 4420 adopted 5/7/90)
If, at any time, any member of the Council, or any officer, boardmember or commissioner appointed by the Council, files to become a candidate (as defined by State law) in any general, special, or primary election for any office of profit or trust under the laws of this State or the United States other than the office then held, such candidacy shall constitute a resignation of the office then held, and the vacancy thereby created shall be filled pursuant to this Charter in the same manner as other vacancies for such office are filled. The Mayor or other member of the City Council vacating their respective office shall remain in office until such time as a successor is sworn into the vacated office.
(Ordinance 4184 adopted 2/16/88; Ordinance 4208 adopted 5/10/88; Ordinance 5443 adopted 2/15/00; Ordinance 5463 adopted 5/9/00; Ordinance 5807 adopted 2/17/04; Ordinance 6991, prop. J, adopted 5/15/18)