It shall not be necessary in any action, suit or proceeding in which the City of Forest Hill is a part, for any bond, undertaking or security to be executed in behalf of said City, but all such actions, suits, appeals or proceedings shall be conducted in the same manner as if such bond, undertaking or security had been given, and said City shall be liable as if such obligation had been given and executed.
No fund of the City or within custody of the city or any of its officials in any official capacity shall be subject to garnishment and the city shall never be required to answer in any garnishment proceedings.
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 context 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 to which such holding shall directly apply.
The employment of relatives of City Council members and of the City Manager shall be prohibited as provided by state law.
This Charter shall be held a public act, and shall have the force and effect of a general law, [and] may be read in evidence without pleading or proof, and judicial notice thereof shall be taken in all courts and places without further proof.
Any willful violation of the provisions of this Charter or of the laws of the State of Texas relating to home rule cities shall constitute malfeasance in office, and any officer or employee of the city guilty thereof shall immediately forfeit his office or position, and said office or position shall be deemed vacant.
No officer or employee of the City should personally benefit from any public decision in which such person participates, except as all other persons may likewise benefit. To this extent, state law requirements restricting personal benefit, requiring reporting potential conflicts and abstaining from participating in any decisions shall govern, including criminal penalties therefor.
The City Council shall provide an ordinance to establish a code of ethics for all city officials and employees of the City of Forest Hill; to provide standards of conduct; to require the filing of financial activity statements as required by state law; and to provide penalties.
Editor’s note–Section 13.09, which detailed prohibited activities, was repealed at referendum on May 6, 1995.
The City Manager shall establish personnel policies subject to approval by the City Council which shall provide for nondiscriminatory practices, merit increases for employees and any other provision deemed necessary.
Editor’s note–Section 13.11, which pertained to charter amendments, was repealed at referendum on May 6, 1995.
This Charter shall not be construed as a mere grant of enumerated powers but shall be construed as a general grant of power and as a limitation of power on the government of the City of Forest Hill, Texas, in the same manner as the Constitution of Texas is construed as a limitation on the powers of the legislature. Except where expressly prohibited by this Charter, each and every power under the Constitution of Texas which it would be competent for the people of the City of Forest Hill to grant expressly to the City shall be construed to be granted to the City by this Charter.
Editor’s note–Section 13.13, which pertained to an interim municipal government, was repealed at referendum on May 6, 1995.
A full text of all ordinances involving penalties shall be published at least twice in the officially designated newspaper of the City, or in lieu thereof a descriptive caption or title stating in summary the purpose of the ordinance and penalty for violation thereof shall be published. All other ordinance[s], except those ordinances specifically required by the provisions of this Charter, or by the laws of the State of Texas, to be published, are not required to be published in the officially designated newspaper of the city or in any other publication, and such ordinances shall become effective as of the date stated therein, and in the event no particular date is stated, said ordinances shall become effective from and after passage and adoption by the City Council.
All ordinances of the City of Forest Hill now in existence and not inconsistent with the provisions of this Charter, shall remain in full force and effect until altered, amended or repealed by the City Council. If parts of ordinances now in existence are inconsistent with the provisions of this Charter, then such parts are hereby repealed, but the remaining parts of such ordinances shall remain in full force and effect until altered, amended or repealed by the City Council.
In the event that a typographical, grammatical, numerical, or other nonsubstantive error, including failure of provisions to be gender neutral, is found to exist in the Charter, the correction of which will not change the legal intent or purpose of any part of the Charter, the city council may correct such error by unanimous vote of the entire council.