Ord 35-2020 Additional Charter Amendment for November 2020 Election 6/16/2020Ordinance No. 35-2020
Ordinance approving the submission of an additional proposed City
Charter amendment to the voters during the general -special election of
November 3, 2020; further, setting forth the additional proposed
amendment and prescribing the form of the proposition
WHEREAS, on June 16, 2020, the City Council approved an ordinance calling for a
General -Special Municipal Election to be held on November 3, 2020, for the purposes of
electing a Mayor, Councilor District 3, Councilor District 4, and Councilor District 5; further
submitting certain proposed amendments to the City Charter to the voters during said
election; and,
WHEREAS, the City Council desires to include an additional proposed amendment
to the City Charter to be submitted to the voters during said election; and,
WHEREAS, by this ordinance, the City Council also sets forth the proposed
additional Charter amendment, and prescribes the form of the proposition.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS, THAT:
SECTION 1. There hereinafter -described proposed amendment to the City Charter
of the City of Wichita Falls shall be included among those previously approved
amendments to be submitted to the voters during the General -Special Municipal Election
to be held on November 3, 2020:
Measure No. 9. That Sections 12, 23, and 32 of the City Charter be amended so
that such sections shall read as follows:
"Sec. 12. - Terms of office.
Members of the city council elected to office in November 2020 or thereafter will be
elected for a term of three (3) years. A councilor or mayor can serve a maximum of two (2)
consecutive terms in the same office. However, in no event shall an elected official of the
city be eligible to be elected to more than three (3) consecutive terms in any combination
of elective office. After at least an 18-month absence from office, the person will be eligible
to hold an elective office with the city again.
Members of the City Council who are serving consecutive terms which include one
or more two-year terms, set by the Charter at the time of their election, are authorized to
serve a maximum of three (3) consecutive terms in the same office. In no event will such
an elected official of the city be eligible to be elected to more than four (4) consecutive
terms in any combination of elective office. After at least an 18-month absence from office,
the person will be eligible to hold an elective office with the city again.
A council member who is appointed or elected to fill an unexpired term will not have
that partial term of office counted against them for purposes of the term limits set out in this
section. Council members elected to a city council office who then resign in order to take
another elected city council office will be deemed to have fully served the term for the office
from which they resigned."
"Sec. 23. - City council vacancies.
If a vacancy occurs in the office of mayor or in any other place on the city council for
an unexpired term of 12 months or less, some eligible person may be chosen to fill the
place by a majority vote of the remaining members. Any person chosen by the city council
to fill a vacancy therein shall continue in office as a result of such choice only until the next
regular municipal election, at which time some person shall be elected to fill the office. All
other vacancies must be filled by special election as set out by Texas law."
"Sec. 32. - Resignation pending recall.
If the mayor or a councilor in regard to whom sufficient recall petition is submitted to
the city council shall resign within five (5) days after notice thereof, the place thus made
vacant on the city council shall be filled as set out by section 23 of the Charter."
SECTION 2. The proposed measure to amend the Charter of the City of Wichita
Falls as proposed in Section 1 of this ordinance shall be submitted to the qualified voters
at this general -special election on November 3, 2020, on the ballot and in the form of the
following proposition. The number of the proposition shall correspond to the number of the
measure, and the words "yes" and "no" shall be printed to the left of the proposition on the
ballot.
Proposition No. 9. Shall Sections 12, 23, and 32 of the City Charter be amended
to provide for three (3) year Council terms; to set term limits; and that unexpired or vacant
terms (including those pursuant to successful recall petitions) of 12 months or less be filled
by the remaining members of the City Council, while all other vacancies shall be filled by a
special election according to Texas law?
PASSED AND APPROVED this the 16t" day of June, 2020.
ATTEST:
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City Clerk