Skip to code content (skip section selection)
Compare to:
SEC. 12A-40.   FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE REPORT.
   (a)   Who must file.
      (1)   Designated city officials and designated city employees. Before initially accepting appointment or assuming the duties of office, and annually thereafter, the following city officials and employees shall file with the city secretary a complete, sworn financial disclosure report complying with Subsection (b):
         (A)   City of Dallas appointed members to the following boards, commissions, and committees:
            (i)   Board of adjustment and board of adjustment alternate members.
            (ii)   Building inspection advisory, examining, and appeals board.
            (iii)   Business development corporation board.
            (iv)   City plan and zoning commission.
            (v)   Civil service board and civil service board adjunct members.
            (vi)   Community development commission.
            (vii)   Dallas Area Rapid Transit board.
            (viii)   Dallas-Fort Worth international airport board.
            (ix)   Ethics advisory commission.
            (x)   Fire code advisory and appeals board.
            (xi)   Housing finance corporation board.
            (xii)   Landmark commission and landmark commission alternate members.
            (xiii)   Park and recreation board.
            (xiv)   Permit and license appeal board.
            (xv)   All reinvestment zone boards.
            (xvi)   All municipal management district boards.
         (B)   The first assistant city attorney.
         (C)   The inspector general.
         (D)   The city auditor and city secretary, and their first assistants.
         (E)   Assistant city managers and chiefs.
         (F)   Municipal judges.
         (G)   Chief financial officer.
      (2)   The mayor, city council members, the city attorney, the city manager, and candidates for city council. The mayor, each city council member, the city attorney, the city manager, and each candidate for a place on the city council are required to file with the city secretary verified financial statements complying with Chapter 145 of the Texas Local Government Code, as amended.
   (b)   Contents of financial disclosure report.
      (1)   For purposes of this subsection:
         (A)   FAMILY MEMBER means a spouse, domestic partner, or dependent of an official or employee required to file a financial disclosure report under Subsection (a)(1).
         (B)   REPORTING PARTY means a city official or employee filing a financial disclosure report as required under Subsection (a)(1).
      (2)   Each financial disclosure report must be on a form provided by the Office of the Inspector General and must contain all of the following information:
         (A)   Name of the reporting party.
         (B)   Name of each family member of the reporting party.
         (C)   Names under which the reporting party and his or her family members do business.
         (D)   Names of the employers of the reporting party and his or her family members.
         (E)   Identification of each source of income amounting to more than $300 received in the preceding calendar year by the reporting party or a family member.
         (F)   Identification of each business entity (including self-employment in the form of a sole proprietorship under a personal or assumed name) in which the reporting party or a family member has an investment of more than $1,000 at the fair market value at the time of the financial disclosure report, which investment must be described in the financial disclosure report.
         (G)   Identification of each non-profit entity or business entity in which the reporting party or a family member is a partner, manager, director, officer, or board member, or serves in any other policymaking position.
         (H)   Identification of any business entity that the reporting party knows is a partner, parent, or subsidiary business entity of a business entity owned, operated, or managed by the reporting party or a family member.
         (I)   Identification of any person or business entity from whom, within the previous calendar year, the reporting party or his or her spouse or domestic partner, directly or indirectly, has:
            (i)   received and not rejected an offer of employment; or
            (ii)   accepted an offer of employment that is binding or expected by the parties to be carried out.
         (J)   Identification (by exact street address or, if no street address is ascertainable, by lot-and-block description) of all real property located within the State of Texas in which the reporting party or a family member has a leasehold interest; a contractual right to purchase; or an interest as fee simple owner, beneficial owner, partnership owner, joint owner with an individual or corporation, or owner of more than 25 percent of a corporation that has title to the real property. The following property is not required to be disclosed:
            (i)   Property used as a personal residence of a peace officer.
            (ii)   Property over which the reporting party has no decision power concerning acquisitions or sales.
            (iii)   Property held through a real estate investment trust, mutual fund, or similar entity, unless the reporting party or a family member participates in the management of the trust, fund, or entity.
         (K)   Identification of persons or entities to whom the reporting party or a family member owes an unsecured debt of more than $5,000, but not including debts for:
            (i)   money borrowed from a relative; or
            (ii)   revolving charge accounts.
         (L)   Identification of all persons or entities who owe the reporting party or a family member an unsecured debt of more than $5,000, but not including debts owed by relative.
         (M)   Identification of the source of each gift or accumulation of gifts from one source of more than $300 in estimated fair market value received by the reporting party or a family member, or received by a person for the use or benefit of the reporting party or a family member, within the preceding calendar year and the estimated fair market value of each gift. Quarterly reports required under this article can be used to meet this requirement. This requirement does not include:
            (i)   a gift received from a relative, if given on account of kinship, or from a domestic partner, if given on account of personal relationship;
            (ii)   a gift received by will, by intestate succession, or as distribution from an inter vivos or testamentary trust established by a spouse, domestic partner, or ancestor;
            (iii)   gifts received among and between fellow city officials and city employees;
            (iv)   a lawful campaign or officeholder contribution reported as required by Chapter 254 of the Texas Election Code; and
            (v)   admission to an event in which the reporting party is participating in connection with official duties.
   (c)   Open records. A financial disclosure report is an open record subject to the Texas Open Records Act and must be maintained in accordance with the Local Government Records Act.
   (d)   Annual filing date. An annual financial disclosure report filed by an official or employee who is required to report must be received by the city secretary by 5:00 p.m. on April 30. When the deadline falls on a Saturday or Sunday, or on an official city holiday as established by the city council, the deadline for receipt by the city secretary is extended to 5:00 p.m. of the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or official city holiday. The inspector general may for good cause grant an extension of time in which to file a report upon written request submitted in advance of the deadline. The extension may not exceed 15 days.
   (e)   Reporting periods. Each initial or annual financial disclosure report filed by an individual designated in Subsection (a)(1) must disclose information relating to the prior calendar year.
   (f)   City secretary.
      (1)   The city secretary shall:
         (A)   prior to January 15 of each year, notify all city officials and employees designated in Subsection (a)(1) of their obligation to file financial disclosure reports with the city secretary, and shall provide the officials and employees with the appropriate forms to be completed;
         (B)   provide forms to all new city council appointees and advise them of reporting requirements and deadlines;
         (C)   provide guidance and assistance on the reporting requirements for persons required to file financial disclosure reports and develop common standards, rules, and procedures for compliance with this article;
         (D)   Reserved.
         (E)   maintain filing, coding, and cross-indexing systems to carry out the purpose of this article and maintain a publicly available list of all persons required to file a financial disclosure report;
         (F)   make the reports filed under this article available for public inspection and copying at reasonable times; and
         (G)   upon determining that a person who is required to file a financial disclosure report has failed to do so timely or has filed incomplete or unresponsive information:
            (i)   notify the person by certified mail that failure to file or correct the filing within 15 days after the original deadline is a violation of this chapter; and
            (ii)   publicly announce to the city council the names of those who have not timely or completely filed a financial disclosure report and to whom the notification is being sent.
      (2)   The failure of the city secretary to provide any notification required by Subsection (f)(1) does not bar appropriate remedial action, but may be considered on the issue of culpability.
   (g)   In addition to other remedies and penalties set forth in this chapter, a violation of this section is punishable by a criminal fine not to exceed $500. (Ord. Nos. 24316; 24485; 25236; 25906; 27819; 30391; 32072; 32472)