OR 89-436 Orders election - amendments to the Home Rule Charter CHARTER AMENDMENT ELECTION
Coppell, Texas
May 6, 1989
ORDINANCE NO. 89436
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF COPPELL, TEXAS, ORDERING AN ELECTION
TO BE HELD MAY 6, 1989, (IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE REGULAR CITY OFFICERS
ELECTION) FOR THE PURPOSE OF SUBMITTING TO THE QUALIFIED VOTERS OF THE
CITY PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE HOME RULE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF
COPPELL; PROVIDING FOR THE PUBLICATION OF NOTICE; PROVIDING FOR
ABSENTEE VOTING; PROVIDING FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF ELECTION JUDGES AND
CLERKS; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COPPELL, TEXAS:
SECTION 1.
IT IS ORDERED that an election be held in the City of Coppel], Texas, on the
6th day of May, 1989, for the purpose of submitting to the qualified voters of the City
the amendments to the Home Rule Charter of the City of Coppell contained in Exhibit
"A" attached hereto and made part hereof for 811 purposes. Said election shall be held
in conjunction with the regular city officers election heretofore ordered to be held on
the same date and at the same time.
SECTION 2.
The polling place for said election shall be the Pinkerton Elementary School, 260
Southwestern Blvd., Coppell, Texas. The polls shall be open from 7:00 o'clock a.m. to
7:00 o'clock p.m. All qualified voters of the City may vote at said election.
SECTION 3.
This ordinance shall serve as the notice to be given of said election and shall,
as required by law, be published in the official newspaper of the City on the same day
in each of two (2) successive weeks, with the first publication occurring before the
14th day before the date of the election. Notice shah also be posted on the City
bulletin board used to publish notice of City Council meetings. A copy of the published
notice that contains the n~me of the newspaper and the date of the publication shall
be retained as 8 record of such notice. The person posting the notice on the City
bulletin board shall make a record at the time of posting stating the date and place
of posting.
SECTION 4.
The ballot shah be prepared in a manner that the voter may vote "for" or
"against" each amendment in the form of a proposition, without voting "for" or "against"
on all of said propositions. Said propositions shall be placed on the same ballot as shall
be used for the Regular City Officers Election. Each such proposition, if 8pproved by
a majority of the qualified voters voting at said election, shall become a part of the
Charter of the City of Coppell.
SECTION 5.
The Presiding Election Judge, all other election officials and election clerks
appointed to serve at the Regular City Officers Election shah serve as the the election
officials for this Charter Amendment Election the same as if this election had been
called and ordered in the same order that called the Regular City Officers Election.
SECTION 6.
Absentee voting for the above designated election shall be held at the regular
office of the City Secretary at the City Hall Building, Coppell, Texas, and said place
of absentee voting shall remain open on each day of absentee voting which is not a
Saturday, Sunday or a legal state holiday, beginning on the 20th day and continuing
through the 4th day preceding the date of said election. Said place of absentee voting
shall remain open during the hours the City Secretary's office is regularly open for
business.
SECTION 7.
After holding said election, the Election Judges shall promptly make their returns
to the City Secretary and to the Mayor, and the Secretary shall thereafter present
such returns to the City Council for the canvassing of said election. The canvass of
said election returns shah be conducted by the City Council not earlier than the 2nd
day nor later than the 6th day after the election.
SECTION 8.
This ordinance shall take effect from and after its passage as the law in such
cases provides.
DULY PASSED AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Coppell, Texas,
this the 3 rd day of April 1989.
LOU DUGGAN, MAYOR
ATTEST
: DOROTHY TIMMONS, CITY SECRETARY
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
CITY ATTORNEY
CO89-0322
EXHIBIT "A"
PROPOSITION NO. 1
To amend Seetions 3.05 and 4.01 {B) to provide that the City Manager shall sign
and execute for and on behalf of the City all contracts and agreements approved by
the City Council and when the City Manager is not available the Deputy City Manager
or Mayor may sign and execute such contracts and agreements which have been approved
by the City Council. Otherwise, said sections to remain unchanged.
PROPOSITION NO. 2
To amend paragraph 4 of Section 3.06 to read as follows: "Notwithstanding the
requirement in this Section and Section 3.01, that a quorum of the City Council consist
of five (5) Councilmembers, if at anytime the membership of the City Council is reduced
to less than five (5) Councilmembers, the remaining members may, by majority action,
appoint additional Councilmembers to raise the membership to five (5). These appointees
shall serve until the positions can be filled at the next regular or special City election.
All vacancies filled by election shall be for the remainder of the unexpired term of
office so filled."
(The underscored portion of the above proposition was
unintentionally omitted when the initial charter was printed)
PROPOSITION NO. 3
To amend Section 4.01(D) by adding thereto a new subsection 10 to read as follows:
"10o The City Council may by ordinance establish certain limitations within
which the City Manager may be authorized to sign and execute contracts for and on
behalf of the City without specific City Council approval.
PROPOSITION NO. 4
To amend Section 4.04 by deleting the unnecessary sentence that says "The
Director of Finance shall be fully responsible for carrying out enforcement of the
resolutions and ordinances of the City."
PROPOSITION NO. 5
To amend Section 4.06(C) to provide that the Clerk of the Municipal Court shall
receive compensation as shall be determined by the City Manager.
(This Section now provides that the Municipal Court Clerk
shall receive compensation as may be determined by the City
Council)
PROPOSITION NO. 6
To amend Section 4.10(E) to provide that the City Engineer shall receive
compensation as may be determined the City Manager.
(This Section now provides that the City Engineer shall receive
compensation as may be determined by the City Council)
PROPOSITION NO. 7
To amend Section 5.01(A) to provide that the regular City election will be held
annually on the first Saturday in May.
(This Section now provides that the annual election will be
held on the first Saturday in April. This change is to comply
with state law that requires such an election to be held on
the first Saturday in May)
PROPOSITION NO. 8
To amend Section 5.07 to read as follows: "In the event no candidate for an
elective office receives a majority of the votes cast for that position in a regular or
a special election or if there is a tie for first place, a runoff election shall be held
pursuant to Section 2.025 of the Texas Election Code."
(This change brings the City Charter into compliance with a
newly adopted provision of the Texas Election Code)
PROPOSITION NO. 9
To amend the caption and first sentence of Section 8.03(D) to read as follows:
"D. BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT
The City Council shall appoint a Board of Adjustment consisting of five
(5) members and four (4) alternate members who shah serve in accordance
with Local Government Code § 211.008 V.T.C.A."
(This section now provides that the Board shall
be known as the "Zoning" Board of Adjustment
and shall have two (2) alternate members)
PROPOSITION NO. 10
To amend Section 9.02(A) by adding thereto a new subsection 5 which shall read
as follows:
"5. The Planning and Zoning Commission shall establish rules and regulations,
not inconsistent with state law or the ordinances of the City, for the
operation of the Planning and Zoning Commission."
PROPOSITION NO. 11
To amend Section 3.13 (B) by adding thereto a new sentence to read as follows:
"Copies of the proposed ordinance, in the form required for adoption, shall be
made available at the City offices and furnished to citizens upon request."
PROPOSITION NO. 12
To renumber Section 5.08 of the present code to 5.09 and add a new Section
5.08 which shall read as follows:
"Section 5.08 OATH OF OFFICE
Every officer of the City shall, before entering upon the duties of their office,
take and subscribe to the following oath or affirmation to be filed and kept in
the office of the City Secretary:
I, , do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I
will faithfully execute the duties of the office of
of the City of CoppeI1, State of Texas, and will to the best of my ability
preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States and
of this state and the charter and ordinances of the City; and I furthermore
solemnly swear (or affirm) that I have not directly or indirectly paid, offered,
or promised to pay, contributed, nor promised to contribute any money or valuable
thing, or promised any public office or employment, as a reward for the giving
or withholding a vote at the election at which I was elected or if the office is
one of appointment, to secure my appointment, so help me God."
PROPOSITION NO. 13
To amend Section 11.06 by adding thereto a new subsection C which shall provide
that no employee of the City shall engage in a political campaign involving the office
of Coppell City Council, become a candidate for office on the Coppell City Council
or become a candidate for office on the governing body of any local area political
subdivision which has overlapping jurisdiction with the City of Coppell, including but
not limited to, such political subdivisions as Coppell Independent School District, Dallas
County, or Coppell Municipal Utility District.