The municipal government provided by this Charter shall be known as the "Mayor-Council Form of Government." Pursuant to its provisions and Subject only to the limitations imposed by the State Constitution and by this Charter, all powers of the City shall be vested in an elected Mayor and four elected Councilmembers, all five of which shall compose the City Council, which shall enact local legislation, adopt budgets, determine policies, and employ the City officials and shall execute the laws and administer the government of the City. All powers of the City shall be exercised in the manner prescribed by this Charter or, if the manner be not prescribed, then in such manner as may be prescribed by ordinance.
(Charter adopted 12/2/1957)
The municipal government of the City shall consist of a City Council, composed of a Mayor and four Councilmembers. Said Mayor and Councilmembers shall be elected from the City at large. The above named officers shall be elected by the qualified electors of the city, other officers and employees of the City shall be a Secretary-Manager, a Treasurer, a City Attorney, a Judge of the Municipal Court, Police Chief, a City Engineer, Fire Chief and such other officers and employees as the City Council may from time to time direct, who shall be appointed and dismissed by the Council. The Council may abolish or consolidate such offices and positions as it may deem to the best interests of the City and may divide the administration of any such offices or positions as it may deem advisable; create new offices and positions and discontinue any office or position at its discretion, except the office of Secretary-Manager.
(Charter adopted 12/2/1957; Ordinance 1415 adopted 2/13/2017, prop. 1, approved at election of 5/6/2017)
No person shall be eligible to the office of Mayor or the office of Councilmember unless he/she is a qualified elector and has been a bona fide resident and citizen in the City one year next preceding the election. If the Mayor or any Councilmember moves from the City during the term of office for which he/she is elected, or if he/she is convicted of any felony or of any misdemeanor involving moral turpitude, he/she shall automatically forfeit his/her office and it shall be deemed vacant.
(Charter adopted 12/2/1957)
The present Mayor and City Councilmembers of the City, or their successors in office at the time of the adoption of this Charter, shall continue to act until their successors are elected and take office, under the provisions of this Charter. The term of office for elective officers shall be for a period of two (2) years, or until their successors are duly elected and qualified. Places 3 and 4 shall be filled by election [in] May of each odd numbered calendar year thereafter, and the office of Mayor and of Councilmembers for Places 1 and 2 shall be filled by election in May of each even numbered calendar year thereafter, or when their successors are elected and qualified.
(Charter adopted 12/2/1957; Ordinance 1415 adopted 2/13/2017, prop. 1, approved at election of 5/6/2017)
The regular municipal elections of the City of Terrell Hills shall be held on the dates fixed by the Texas Election Code and the same shall be conducted and the results canvassed and announced by the election authorities prescribed by the general election laws of the State of Texas, and said general laws shall control in all municipal elections.
(Charter adopted 12/2/1957; Ordinance 855 adopted 3/30/1992, prop. 1, approved at election of 5/2/1992; Ordinance 1415 adopted 2/13/2017, prop. 1, approved at election of 5/6/2017)
The polls shall be open for an early voting and on election day as required by the Texas Election Code.
(Charter adopted 12/2/1957; Ordinance 1415 adopted 2/13/2017, prop. 1, approved at election of 5/6/2017)
Names of candidates for places on the City Council and for Mayor shall be placed on the official ballot upon the sworn application of the candidates filed with the Secretary-Manager in accordance with the Texas Election Code at least thirty days before an election, stating the office for which he/she is a candidate, and if for Councilmember, the place for which he/she is running, and stating that the candidate has resided in the City and has been a bona fide citizen thereof for at least one year prior to the election; and, thereupon, the names of such candidates shall be printed upon the official ballot in the order to be determined by drawing of lots, said drawing to be conducted by the Secretary-Manager in accordance with the Texas Election Code.
(Charter adopted 12/2/1957; Ordinance 1415 adopted 2/13/2017, prop. 1, approved at election of 5/6/2017)
Candidates for City Council shall run for Place No. One, Place No. Two, Place No. Three, and Place No. Four, or for Mayor, as the case may be, and shall be voted on and elected accordingly by the vote of the qualified votes of the City at large.
(Charter adopted 12/2/1957; Ordinance 1415 adopted 2/13/2017, prop. 1, approved at election of 5/6/2017)
The candidate receiving the largest number of votes cast for the place which he/she seeks shall be elected to the respective office for which he/she is a candidate.
(Charter adopted 12/2/1957)
The City Council shall be the judge of the election and of the qualification of its own members and of the Mayor, subject to review of the courts in the case of contest. The City Council shall in accordance with the Texas Election Code, either at a called meeting or at its next regular meeting, canvass the returns and declare the results of such election. The candidate receiving the largest number of votes for an office shall be declared elected.
If such election results in a tie for first place, and if the election is still determined to be tied after a recount of all votes, it shall be the duty of the Mayor to order a second election for the office or offices in which candidates tie for first place in accordance with the Texas Election Code. In said election, only those can run who were tied for first place in the first election. In the event one of the candidates who ties for first place shall withdraw or die, a second election shall not be held for that office, and the other candidate for such office shall be declared elected.
(Charter adopted 12/2/1957; Ordinance 1415 adopted 2/13/2017, prop. 1, approved at election of 5/6/2017)
The newly elected officers shall enter upon their duties immediately following canvass of the returns and declaration by the City Council of the results of each regular and special election. If any of such officers fails to qualify within thirty days after his/her election, his/her office shall be deemed vacant.
(Charter adopted 12/2/1957; Ordinance 855 adopted 3/30/1992, prop. 2, approved at election of 5/2/1992)
No member of the City Council shall hold any other employment or office under city government while he/she is a member of said Council, unless herein otherwise provided. No member of the City Council, or any other officer of the City, shall be directly or indirectly interested in any work, business or contract, the expense, price or consideration of which is paid from the City treasury, nor be the surety of any person having a contract, work or business with said City, for the performance of which security may be required, nor be the surety on the official bond of any city officer.
If any member of the City Council shall violate the foregoing, then the City's contract or agreement in connection therewith shall be null and void; and, if the City shall have made any expenditure of money or other thing of value under or by virtue of such contract, it shall be entitled to recover such consideration upon the institution of suit for such purpose in any court of competent jurisdiction in Bexar County, Texas, and, further if any member of the City Council shall so violate the foregoing he/she shall forfeit all right or claim to the office which he/she holds in the City and he/she shall be expelled from the City Council and, if the City Council should fail to so expel him, then he/she shall be subject to removal upon suit being brought by any five citizens of the City for such purpose, in any of the District Courts of Bexar County, Texas.
(Charter adopted 12/2/1957)
Vacancies in the City Council other than Mayor arising from any cause (other than recall) shall be filled by a majority vote of the remaining members for the unexpired terms only, and the remaining Councilmembers, in the event of a vacancy in the office of Mayor, shall elect a person from among themselves by majority vote to serve as Mayor for the unexpired term.
(Charter adopted 12/2/1957; Ordinance 855 adopted 3/30/1992, prop. 3, approved at election of 5/2/1992)
At the first meeting of each new Council, or as soon thereafter as practicable, one of the Councilmembers shall be elected Mayor Pro Tempore, who shall hold his/her office for one year. In case of the failure, inability or refusal of the Mayor to act, the Mayor Pro Tempore shall perform the duties of the Mayor. When serving as Mayor as the presiding officer at City Council meetings, the Mayor Pro Tempore shall have the same rights and privileges as provided for by Article IV, Section 1, of this Charter. In the case of absence from the City or the failure, inability or refusal of both the Mayor and Mayor pro tempore to perform the duties of Mayor, the City Council may, at a Council meeting, by a vote of two affirmative votes, elect an Acting Mayor Pro Tempore, who shall serve as Mayor with all of the powers and privileges of Mayor until either the Mayor or Mayor Pro Tempore shall resume the duties of office. When such Acting Mayor Pro Tempore is serving as the presiding officer at Council meetings, he/she shall have all of the powers set forth in Article IV, Section 1, of this Charter.
(Charter adopted 12/2/1957)
The Mayor and Councilmembers shall receive $1.00 per year as compensation and may be reimbursed for their expenses incurred in their official duties, when said expenses have been presented at a regular meeting of the Council and their payment authorized by ordinance duly enacted.
(Charter adopted 12/2/1957)
The City Council shall appoint officers to fill all positions created by this Charter or hereafter created by ordinance and fix their compensation. All appointments shall be for and during the will of the Council unless controlled by state law. A corporation, private or municipal, may be appointed to perform any duties of any office provided for in this Charter or hereafter created by law or ordinance.
(Charter adopted 12/2/1957; Ordinance 1415 adopted 2/13/2017, prop. 1, approved at election of 5/6/2017)