The gender of the wording throughout this Charter shall always
be interpreted to mean either sex. All singular words shall include
the plural and all plural words shall include the singular. All references
to state law or laws of the State of Texas, however expressed in this
Charter, shall mean "as presently enacted or as may be amended or
superceded." The use of the word city in this Charter shall mean the
City of Alamo Heights, Texas, and the use of the word Charter shall
mean the Home Rule Charter.
The municipal government of the city shall consist of a city
council composed of a mayor and five (5) council members. Said mayor
and council members shall be elected from the city at large. The above
named officers shall be elected by the qualified electors of the city.
Other officers of the city shall be a city manager, city attorney,
public works director, police chief and fire chief, and such other
officers as the city council may from time to time direct, who shall
be appointed by the city manager with the approval of the city council
in accordance with this Charter.
Candidates for city council shall run for Place No. One, Place
No. Two, Place No. Three, Place No. Four, or Place No. Five, or for
mayor, as the case may be, and shall be voted on and elected accordingly,
by the vote of the qualified voters of the city at large. A candidate
may not run for more than one elected position of the city.
The candidate receiving the largest number of votes of the entire
city cast for the place which he seeks shall be elected to the respective
office for which he is a candidate.
The returns of every municipal election shall be handled in
accordance with the Texas Election Code. These returns shall be delivered
from the election judges to the person performing the duties of the
city secretary at City Hall as soon as possible after the closing
of the polls. Election returns, general and special, shall be presented
to the city council at their next meeting in accordance with the Texas
Election Code, at which time the city council shall canvass and declare
the results of the election, which shall be recorded in the minutes
of the meeting.
Council members in Places 3, 4, and 5 shall be filled by election
in May of each even numbered calendar year, and the offices of mayor
and council members for Places 1 and 2 shall be filled by election
in May of each odd numbered calendar year, or when their successors
are elected and qualified.
Each newly elected person to the city council shall be inducted
into office at the first city council meeting following the official
canvassing of the election. At such meeting, the oath shall be administered
in accordance with the city Charter.
The city council shall be the judge of the qualification of
its own members and of the mayor. No person shall be eligible to the
office of mayor or the office of council member unless he or she is
a qualified elector and has resided in the city one year, next preceding
the election. If the mayor or any council member moves from the city
during the term of office for which he is elected, his office shall
be deemed vacant.
No member of the city council shall hold any other employment
or office under the city government while he is a member of said city
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 the
surety on the official bond of any city officer. Direct or indirect
interest in any work, business or contract shall be defined as "substantial
interest" per Chapter 171 of the Texas Local Government Code.
At the first meeting of each new city council, or as soon thereafter as practicable, one of the council members shall be elected mayor pro tempore, who shall hold his 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 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 VI, Section
1, of this Charter, and shall be entitled to vote. 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 city council meeting, by a vote of three affirmative votes, elect an acting mayor pro tempore from the existing council members, who shall serve as mayor with all of the powers and privileges of mayor until either the mayor or mayor pro tempore shall resume his duties of office. When such acting mayor pro tempore is serving as the presiding officer at city council meetings, he shall have all the powers set forth in Article VI, Section
1 of this Charter, but shall be entitled to vote.
The mayor and council members shall receive one dollar ($1.00)
per year as compensation and may be reimbursed for their expenses
incurred in their official duties.