(a) 
General authority.
The registered voters of the City shall have the power to propose ordinances to the Council and, if the City Council fails to adopt an ordinance so proposed without any change in substance, to adopt or reject it at a City election, but such power shall not extend to the budget or capital program or any ordinance relating to the appropriation of money, levy of taxes, utility rates, zoning, or salaries of City officers or employees. The Initiative process is not appropriate for elections for 'local option' alcohol sales.
(b) 
Initiative petitions.
Registered voters of the City may exercise the power of initiative by filing a petition, as described herein, on form(s) which will be provided by the City Secretary and may be requested via internet from the City Secretary. A petition for initiative shall be, signed by registered voters of the City equal in number to at least fifteen (15) percent of the number of all of the registered voters in the City at the time of the last regular municipal election. The petition shall be signed and verified as required by this Charter's provisions and state law. A petition for initiative shall include, on each signed page, the full text, including a descriptive caption, of the ordinance that is the subject of the initiative.
(Ordinance 2024-O-045 adopted 11/18/2024)
(a) 
General authority.
The registered voters of the City shall have the power to require reconsideration by the City Council of any adopted ordinance or other City Council action and, if the City Council fails to repeal an ordinance or other action so reconsidered, to approve or reject it at a City election, but such power shall not extend to actions on the budget or capital program, or any emergency ordinance, or any zoning ordinance, or any action that is a ministerial duty of the City Council, or any ordinance relating to the appropriation of money, or levy of taxes.
(b) 
Referendum petitions.
Registered voters of the City may exercise the power of referendum by filing a petition, as described herein, on form(s) which shall be provided by the City Secretary and may be requested via internet. A petition for referendum shall be, signed by registered voters of the City equal in number to at least fifteen (15) percent of the number of all of the registered voters in the City at the time of the last regular municipal election. The petition shall be signed and verified as required by this Charter's provisions and state law. A petition for referendum shall include, on each signed page, the full text, including a descriptive caption, of the ordinance that is the subject of the initiative.
(c) 
Deadline.
A petition for referendum must be filed no later than sixty (60) calendar days after the date that Council has taken the action subject to the referendum.
(d) 
Suspension of effect of ordinance.
When a referendum petition is filed with the City Secretary, the City Council action that is the subject of such petition shall be suspended from taking effect. Such suspension shall terminate upon the earlier to occur:
(1) 
Certification of the City Secretary of the insufficiency of the petition,
(2) 
The City Council holds a formal reconsideration vote, or
(3) 
The Election is held.
(Ordinance 2024-O-045 adopted 11/18/2024)
The people of the City reserve the power to recall any elected officer of the City, on the grounds of incompetence, misconduct, or malfeasance in office, and may exercise such power by filing a petition, as described herein, on form(s) which will be provided by the City Secretary and may be requested via internet from the City Secretary. A petition to recall only shall be, signed by registered voters of the City equal in number to at least fifteen (15) percent of the number of all of the registered voters in the City at the time of the last regular municipal election, demanding the removal of the elected officer. The petition shall be signed and verified as required by this Charter's provisions and state law. Any registered voter residing within the City may cast a ballot on the issue of the recall. No recall petition shall be filed against any official within twelve (12) months after the official takes office, nor, in case of a member subject to a recall election and not removed, until at least twelve (12) months after that election. Councilmembers appointed under the provisions of this Charter, Article III, Section 3.09 are not subject to recall.
(Ordinance 2024-O-045 adopted 11/18/2024)
The recall petition shall be addressed to the City Council of the City of Liberty Hill and shall distinctly and specifically set out the factual basis and circumstances upon which the petition for removal is predicated with sufficient specificity to give the official sought to be removed notice of all matters and things with which the official is charged. If the petition is certified by the City Secretary to be sufficient, the Council shall order and hold an election forthwith to determine whether such elected official shall be recalled.
(Ordinance 2024-O-045 adopted 11/18/2024)
If the majority of the legal votes cast at a recall election are "in favor of" the recall of the elected official, a special election for the filling of the vacancy shall be called and held in accordance with state law and with the provisions of this Charter on elections. An officer thus removed shall not be eligible to hold office again in the City of Liberty Hill within a period of four (4) years from the date of that officer's recall.
(Ordinance 2024-O-045 adopted 11/18/2024)
The officer whose removal is sought may, within five (5) business days after such recall petition has been presented to the City Council, request that a public hearing be held to permit the officer to present facts pertinent to the charges specified in the recall petition. In this event, the City Council shall order such public hearing to be held, not less than five (5) business days nor more than ten (10) business days after receiving such request for a public hearing.
(Ordinance 2024-O-045 adopted 11/18/2024)
If all of the requirements of this Charter have been met and the City Council fails or refuses to receive the recall petition, order the recall election, or discharge any other duties imposed upon the Council by the provision of this Charter concerning the recall, then any citizen who is a registered voter of the City of Liberty Hill may file, in a court with jurisdiction over the matter, a writ of mandamus seeking to force the City to call the election in accordance with state law.
(Ordinance 2024-O-045 adopted 11/18/2024)
(a) 
A petition for initiative, referendum, or recall shall include a sworn affidavit signed before the City Secretary or other officer competent to administer oaths, stating that the statements made in the affidavit are true and that the affiant has first-hand knowledge of such statements, that each signature to the paper appended is the genuine signature of the person whose name purports to be signed thereto, and that such signatures were placed thereon in the presence of the affiant after such signer was given the opportunity to read the full text of the action at issue. If the individual making this sworn statement is not a registered voter of the City, then this sworn statement shall also include a submission to the jurisdiction of the state courts in Williamson County, Texas, and a waiver of any challenge to jurisdiction and venue in connection with the matters encompassed by the affidavit.
(b) 
Signatures on the petition must be collected within sixty (60) calendar days, as measured from the date the City Secretary issues the petition forms to the requestors, such issue date shall be marked on all petition form pages.
(c) 
Petitions may not be supplemented, modified, amended, or withdrawn, except as required by applicable state law.
(d) 
No initiative or referendum petition shall be filed within twelve (12) months of a public vote on a previous petition containing the same or substantially the same language.
(Ordinance 2024-O-045 adopted 11/18/2024)
(a) 
Within forty-five (45) calendar days after a petition for initiative, referendum, or recall is filed with the City Secretary, the City Secretary shall verify the validity of the petition signatures and the sufficiency of the number of valid signatures in such petition. After completing such verification, the City Secretary shall certify the results of such verification in accordance with state law to the City Council at its next regular meeting.
(b) 
If, upon receipt of a certification by the City Secretary that a petition is sufficient, City Council finds that the petition does not meet the requirements of state law or this Charter, or that a petitioned initiative or referendum would violate state law or this Charter, then City Council shall, by resolution passed within thirty (30) calendar days after the receipt of such certification, reject the petition and state the basis for such rejection. Failure to pass such resolution within thirty (30) calendar days shall be deemed a final determination that the petition is sufficient.
(c) 
If the City Council rejects a petition, any citizen who is a registered voter of the City of Liberty Hill may file in a court with jurisdiction over the matter, a writ of mandamus seeking to force the City to confirm the validity of such petition, and to proceed as required by this Charter.
(Ordinance 2024-O-045 adopted 11/18/2024)
(a) 
Initiative.
If a petition for initiative is found to be sufficient, then the City Council shall promptly consider adoption of the proposed ordinance. If City Council does not adopt the proposed ordinance within thirty (30) days after the City Secretary has certified the petition's sufficiency, the City Council shall submit the proposed ordinance to the registered voters of the City at the next uniform election date allowed by applicable state law. If a majority of the registered voters voting on a proposed initiative ordinance vote in its favor, it shall be considered adopted upon canvassing of the election results and shall be treated in all respects in the same manner as ordinances of the same kind adopted by the City Council. If multiple ordinances are approved at the same election, on the same subject matter, the ordinance receiving the greatest number of affirmative votes shall prevail on that subject matter.
(b) 
Referendum.
If a petition for referendum is found to be sufficient, then the City Council shall promptly reconsider the prior action which is the subject of such petition. If City Council does not repeal such action within thirty (30) days after the City Secretary has certified the petition's sufficiency, the City Council shall submit the proposed repeal to the registered voters of the City at the next uniform election date allowed by applicable state law. If a majority of the registered voters voting on a referred ordinance vote against it, it shall be considered repealed upon canvassing of the election results. City Council may not adopt an ordinance containing the same or substantially same language for twenty-four (24) months after a referendum election as was subject to referendum.
(c) 
Failure of city council to call an election.
If all of the requirements of this Charter have been met and the City Council fails or refuses to receive a sufficient petition, order a required election, or discharge any other duties imposed upon the City Council by the provisions of this Charter concerning an initiative, referendum, or recall, then any citizen who is a registered voter of the City of Liberty Hill may file, in a court with jurisdiction over the matter, a writ of mandamus seeking to force the City to call the election in accordance with state law.
(Ordinance 2024-O-045 adopted 11/18/2024)