The inhabitants of the City of Carrollton in Dallas, Denton, and Collin Counties, Texas, within the corporate limits as now established or as hereafter established in the manner prescribed by this Charter shall be and shall continue to be a municipal body politic and corporate in perpetuity under the name of the "City of Carrollton."
(Adopted by electorate, 9/19/1961; Am. Ordinance 1361 adopted 4/7/1987)
The municipal government provided by this Charter shall be known as the "council-manager" government. Pursuant to its provisions and subject only to the limitations imposed by the State Constitution, by the statutory laws of Texas, and by this Charter, all powers of the city shall be vested in an elective council, hereinafter referred to as the "council," which shall enact local legislation, determine policies, and appoint the city manager, who 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 a manner as may be prescribed by ordinance.
(Adopted by electorate, 9/19/1961; Am. Ordinance 1361 adopted 4/7/1987; Am. Ordinance 2364 adopted 8/11/1998)
(1) 
Extension of city limits by petition.
Whenever a majority of the qualified voters who are citizens of the State of Texas and inhabitants of any territory adjoining the City of Carrollton, as said territory may be designated by the council, or in case there are no qualified voters in said territory, then when persons owning a majority of the land in area in said territory, desire the annexation of such territory to the City of Carrollton, they may present a written petition to that effect to the council and shall attach to said petition an affidavit of one or more of their number to the effect that said petition is signed by a majority of such qualified voters, or in the case there are no qualified voters said affidavit shall be to the effect that there are no qualified voters in said territory and that the persons signing the petition own a majority of the land in said territory. The city council shall provide an opportunity for all interested persons to be heard in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas. The council at regular session or in special session held not sooner than thirty (30) days after the presentation of said petition may by ordinance annex such territory to the City of Carrollton and thenceforth the boundary limits of the city shall be fixed by such ordinance and the territory so annexed shall be a part of the City of Carrollton and the inhabitants thereof shall be entitled to all the rights and privileges of other citizens and shall be bound by the acts, ordinances, resolutions, and regulations of said city, and the property situated therein shall bear its pro rata part of the taxes levied by the city.
(2) 
Extension of city limits by ordinance.
A second method of extending the corporate limits of the City of Carrollton shall be that the council shall have the power by ordinance to fix the boundary limits of said city and to provide for the extension of said boundary limits by the annexation of additional territory lying adjacent to said city, with or without the consent of the inhabitants of the territory annexed. The city council shall provide an opportunity for all interested persons to be heard in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas. Amendments not enlarging or not extending the boundary limits set forth in the published ordinance may be incorporated into the proposed ordinance without the necessity of republication of said ordinance as amended. Upon the final passage of any annexation ordinance, the boundary limits of the city shall thereafter be fixed by such ordinance and the territory so annexed shall be a part of the City of Carrollton, and the inhabitants thereof shall be entitled to all rights and privileges of other citizens and shall be bound by the acts, ordinances, resolutions, and regulations of the City of Carrollton, and the property situated therein shall bear its pro rata part of the taxes levied by the city.
(3) 
Disannexation.
Whenever there exists within the corporate limits of the city any territory not suitable or necessary for city purposes, the council may, upon a petition signed by a majority of the qualified voters residing in such territory if the same be inhabited, or without any such petition if the same be uninhabited, by ordinance duly passed, discontinue said territory as a part of said city; said petition and ordinance shall specify accurately the metes and bounds of the territory sought to be eliminated from the city and shall contain a plat designating such territory so that the same can be definitely ascertained. The city council shall provide an opportunity for all interested persons to be heard. When said ordinance has been duly passed the same shall be entered upon the minutes and records of said city, and from and after the entry of such ordinance said territory shall cease to be a part of said city, but said territory shall still be liable for its pro rata share of any debts incurred while said area was a part of said city, and the city shall continue to levy, assess and collect taxes on the property within said territory to pay the indebtedness incurred while said area was a part of the city as though the same had not been excluded from the boundaries of the city.
(Adopted by electorate, 9/19/1961; Am. Ordinance 1361 adopted 4/7/1987; Am. Ordinance 2364 adopted 8/11/1998; Charter Am. adopted 5/11/2021)
The City of Carrollton may exercise all powers that now are or hereafter may be granted to municipalities by the Constitution or the laws of the State of Texas. All such powers, whether expressed or implied shall be exercised and enforced in the manner prescribed by this Charter, and when not prescribed herein, in such manner as may be provided by ordinance or resolution of the council of the City of Carrollton.
The enumeration of particular powers in this Charter shall not be held or deemed to be exclusive, but in addition to the, powers enumerated herein, implied thereby or appropriate to the exercise thereof, the city may have and shall exercise all other powers which, under the Constitution of the State of Texas, it would be competent for the Charter specifically to enumerate. The City of Carrollton shall have and exercise all of the powers conferred upon cities by what is known as the Home Rule Amendment to the Constitution of the State of Texas and the enabling act relative thereto, passed by the Thirty-third Legislative of the State of Texas, found in the published laws, of said legislature, regular session, pages 307 to 317, and effective July 7, 1913, and all other laws passed by the legislature of the State of Texas, relating thereto, or which may hereafter be passed by said legislature in relation to such matters.
The City of Carrollton may acquire property within or without its corporate limits for any municipal purpose; may cooperate with the government of Texas or any agency thereof, or with the federal government or any agency thereof, or with the government of any county, city, or political subdivision to accomplish any lawful purpose for the advancement of the health, morals, safety, convenience, or welfare of the City of Carrollton or its inhabitants, may sell, lease, mortgage, hold, manage and control such property as its interest may require; provided the city shall not sell, convey, lease, mortgage, or otherwise alienate any public utility without prior approval of the qualified voters of the city; may exercise the power of eminent domain when necessary or desirable to carry out any of the powers conferred upon it by this Charter or the Constitution or laws of the State of Texas; and may lay out, establish, open, alter, widen, lower, extend, grade, abandon, close, care for, dispose of, abolish, discontinue, pave, supervise, maintain and improve streets, alleys, sidewalks, parks, squares, public places and bridges; and regulate the use thereof and require the removal from streets, sidewalks, alleys and other public property or places of all obstructions and all fruit stands, show cases and encroachments of every nature or character upon any of said streets, sidewalks, or other public property.
Provided, however, nothing included above or anywhere in this charter shall authorize the City of Carrollton, or any corporations, agency or entity created by the City, or pursuant to the City's approval and authorization, to institute and exercise the power of eminent domain to acquire private or public property if the purpose of the acquisition is the promotion of economic development for a private business enterprise which business enterprise would own any right, title, or interest in the property so acquired.
(Adopted by electorate, 9/19/1961; Am. Ordinance 2364, 8/11/1998)