A.
The governing body of the City shall consist of a City Council composed
of a Mayor and six (6) Councilmembers.
B.
The Mayor and Councilmembers shall be elected from the City at large.
The other members of Council shall be elected to the office at large,
but by specific place, which shall be designated as Places One, Two,
Three, Four, Five and Six.
C.
The Mayor and members of the City Council shall be elected for terms
of three (3) years and shall hold office until their respective successors
have been elected and qualified. Two (2) members shall be elected
at the regular election held annually on the first Saturday in May,
except every third year where the Mayor and two councilmembers shall
be elected, unless the Council designates an alternative date allowed
by State law at least six (6) months prior to the regular election.
In order to affect a transition to three (3) year terms upon the adoption
of the Charter, elections shall be held as follows:
a.
The Mayor and Place 2 and Place 4 shall fulfill their two-year terms
and be elected to three (3) year terms upon expiration of the current
term in 2024.
b.
Place 1 shall be elected to three (3) year terms upon the expiration
of the current two-year term in 2025.
c.
The current terms of Place 3 and Place 5 shall be extended one (1)
year to expire in 2026, at which time Place 3 and Place 5 shall be
elected to a three (3) year term.
d.
If approved, Place 6 shall be elected or appointed to serve for a
two-year term to expire in 2025, at which time Place 6 shall be elected
to a three (3) year term.
[Ordinance 1473-23 adopted 5/16/2023]
Each of the six Councilmembers and Mayor shall, on the date
of the election, be at least twenty-one (21) years of age, a citizen
of the United States of America and a registered, qualified voter
of the State of Texas; shall reside and shall have resided for at
least one year preceding the election for which they are a candidate,
within the corporate limits of Richland Hills; and shall not be disqualified
by reason of any provision of any other section of this Charter. A
person who does not possess each of the above qualifications at the
time of his/her filing as a candidate shall not be eligible to be
elected to the Council. A member of the Council ceasing to possess
any of the qualifications specified in this section or any other section
of this Charter, or convicted of a felony while in office, shall immediately
vacate his/her office. No Councilmember shall hold any other public
office except that of Notary Public, a member of the National Guard
or any Military Reserve, or a retired member of the Armed Services.
[Ordinance 1473-23 adopted 5/16/2023]
The regular municipal elections of the City of Richland Hills
shall be held on the May uniform election day of each year or as otherwise
provided by state law and shall be conducted in accordance with State
law.
Elections shall be governed in compliance with the Texas Election
Code, as amended.
[Ordinance 1473-23 adopted 5/16/2023]
The election judges, and other election officials for conducting
all City elections, shall be appointed by the City Council or as provided
by the Texas Election Code. The election judges shall conduct the
elections, determine, record and report the results as provided by
the election laws of Texas.
[Ordinance 1473-23 adopted 5/16/2023]
The City Council shall be the judge of the election and qualification
of its own members and of the Mayor, subject to the courts in the
case of contest. The City Council shall, as soon as practical after
the election, in compliance with the Texas Election Code, as amended,
canvass the returns and declare the results of such election. If such
election results in a candidate not receiving a majority of votes
cast for that office, the City shall order a runoff election to be
held in compliance with the Texas Election Code, as amended. In the
event one of the candidates of the first election withdraws or dies,
a second election shall not be held for that office, and the other
candidate for such office shall be declared elected, and shall be
seated.
[Ordinance 1473-23 adopted 5/16/2023]
In the event of a vacancy from any cause in the office of Mayor
or Councilmember with three-year terms, and an unexpired term greater
than 12 months, the City Council shall order a special election called
for the purpose of filling the vacancy within one hundred and twenty
(120) days after such vacancy or vacancies. However, if a vacancy
occurs in the office of Mayor or Councilmember with an unexpired term
of 12 months or less, the City Council may call a special election
to fill the vacancy or may, by majority vote of the Council present,
appoint a person to fill such vacancy until the expiration of the
office to be filled, if permitted by the Texas Constitution.
In the event of a vacancy from any cause in the office of Mayor
or Councilmember with two-year terms, the City Council may call a
special election to fill the vacancy or may, by majority vote of Council
present, appoint a person to fill such vacancy until the expiration
of the office to be filled, if permitted by the Texas Constitution.
[Ordinance 1473-23 adopted 5/16/2023]
The City Council shall meet a minimum of one (1) time per month
and more as needed.
[Ordinance 1473-23 adopted 5/16/2023]
A.
If the Mayor
or a Councilmember has four (4) unexcused absences from a regular
city council meeting in a term, the Mayor or Councilmember may be
removed from office by a vote of majority of the City Council. If
removed, the City Council shall declare the office vacant and proceed
to fill the office as in the case of other vacancies.
B.
At each
regular meeting from which the Mayor or a Councilmember is absent,
the City Council shall determine whether the absence is excused.
[Ordinance 1473-23 adopted 5/16/2023]
A.
A councilmember
who has served as a councilmember, regardless of place, for three
(3) consecutive terms, shall not again be eligible to become a candidate
for or to serve as a councilmember until the next general election
after the third consecutive term has expired. This shall not prevent
a councilmember from becoming a candidate for mayor upon expiration
of the third consecutive term as a councilmember.
B.
A mayor
who has served as mayor for three (3) consecutive terms as mayor shall
not again be eligible to become a candidate for or to serve as mayor
until the next general election after the third consecutive term has
expired. This shall not prevent a mayor from becoming a candidate
for councilmember upon expiration of the third consecutive term as
mayor.
C.
A person
who has served eighteen (18) consecutive years on the council, in
any combination of years spent as mayor or councilmember, shall not
again be eligible to become a candidate for or to serve as mayor or
councilmember until the next general election after the expiration
of the term completing the eighteen (18) year period.
[Ordinance 1473-23 adopted 5/16/2023]
The City Council Members and Mayor each shall be allowed, for
incidental expenses, the sum of Ten Dollars ($10.00) per meeting and
such designated actual expenses supported in writing which shall have
been presented to the City Council and received approval.
[Ordinance 1473-23 adopted 5/16/2023]
