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laws of the State of Texas, however expressed in this Charter, shall mean "as presently enacted or as may be amended or superceded."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.
A. 
All city elections shall be conducted in accordance with the Texas Election Code and other applicable law.
B. 
The general city election shall be held annually during the month of May or such date as required by the Texas Election Code. The city council shall be responsible for specifying locations and times for holding such elections.
C. 
The city council may, by resolution, order a special election for purposes consistent with this Charter and laws of the State of Texas. The city council shall be responsible for specifying locations and times for holding such elections.
D. 
Municipal elections shall be conducted by election officials appointed by the city council or contracted with the county elections office, as prescribed by law.
E. 
All municipal elections shall be publicized in accordance with the Texas Election Code.
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.
A. 
The office of a council member or the mayor shall become vacant upon his death, resignation, forfeiture of, or removal from office by any manner authorized by law. If any member of the city council, or the mayor, ceases to possess the required qualifications for his office, or is convicted of a felony, he shall automatically be deemed to have forfeited such office. Such forfeiture shall be declared by resolution, and enforced by the city council. If there is a declared vacancy in the office of mayor, the city council shall appoint a mayor from among the remaining city council members who shall assume that office until the next scheduled city election. If the mayor pro tempore is selected as mayor, the city council shall elect a new mayor pro tempore at the next regular meeting following the declared vacancy. If the remaining council members refuse to serve as mayor, the city council may appoint a qualified resident to serve as mayor until the next scheduled city election. If a vacancy occurs in the first year of a two-year term, the person appointed as mayor shall have to stand for election at the next scheduled city election to serve out the one-year remaining on that term.
B. 
Within thirty (30) days of a declared council member vacancy, the remaining council members shall appoint a qualified person to fill that vacancy for the remainder of that term, or until the next scheduled city election, whichever occurs first. Any person appointed to a vacancy which occurs in the first year of a two-year term, shall have to stand for election at the next scheduled city election to serve out the one-year remaining on that term.
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.