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The Dallas City Code
CITY OF DALLAS, TEXAS CODE OF ORDINANCES
CHARTER of THE CITY OF DALLAS, TEXAS
FORMS OF GOVERNMENT AND CHARTERS OF THE CITY OF DALLAS
PREAMBLE
CHAPTER I. INCORPORATION AND TERRITORY
CHAPTER II. POWERS OF CITY
CHAPTER III. CITY COUNCIL
CHAPTER IIIA. CITY SECRETARY
CHAPTER IV. ELECTIONS AND REFERENDUMS
CHAPTER V. RECALL OF CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
CHAPTER VI. THE CITY MANAGER
CHAPTER VII. LEGAL DEPARTMENT
CHAPTER VIII. MUNICIPAL COURTS
CHAPTER IX. CITY AUDITOR
CHAPTER IXA. OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL
CHAPTER X. ADMINISTRATIVE DEPARTMENTS
CHAPTER XI. THE BUDGET AND FINANCIAL PROCEDURE RELATING THERETO
CHAPTER XII. POLICE DEPARTMENT
CHAPTER XIII. FIRE-RESCUE DEPARTMENT
CHAPTER XIV. FRANCHISES
CHAPTER XV. PLANNING AND ZONING
CHAPTER XVI. CIVIL SERVICE AND PERSONNEL
CHAPTER XVII. PARK AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT
CHAPTER XVIII. ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS.
CHAPTER XIX. ASSESSMENT AND COLLECTION OF TAXES
CHAPTER XX. PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS AND ASSESSMENTS
CHAPTER XXI. BORROWING MONEY
CHAPTER XXII. PUBLIC CONTRACTS
CHAPTER XXIII. CLAIMS FOR DAMAGE OR INJURY
CHAPTER XXIV. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
CHAPTER XXV. CITIZEN ENFORCEMENT
Charter Comparative Table
VOLUME I
VOLUME II
VOLUME III
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SEC. 4.   COMPENSATION OF THE MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
   (a)   Effective October 1, 2001, each member of the city council, other than the mayor, shall receive a salary in the sum of $37,500 for each year (prorated for partial years) that the member serves on the city council. The mayor shall receive a salary in the sum of $60,000 for each year (prorated for partial years) served as mayor on the city council. [Note: This version of subsection (a) is effective until the swearing in of city council members in June 2015.]
   (a)   Effective upon the swearing in of city council members in June 2015, each member of the city council, other than the mayor, shall receive a salary in the sum of $60,000 for each year (prorated for partial years) that the member serves on the city council. The mayor shall receive a salary in the sum of $60,000 for each year (prorated for partial years) served as mayor on the city council. [Note: This version of subsection (a) is effective upon the swearing in of city council members in June 2015 and until the swearing in as mayor of an individual who did not hold the office of mayor on November 4, 2014.]
   (b)   For purposes of this section, a “year” means a 12-consecutive-month period.
   (c)   The salary provided for in Subsection (a) will be paid on a biweekly basis.
   (d)   In addition to receiving the salary provided for in Subsection (a), all necessary expenses incurred by members of the city council in the performance of their duties will be paid by the city, when authorized by the city council. The mayor and each member of the city council may also receive benefits for elected officials as permitted by state and federal law and adopted by city council through resolution or ordinance.
   (e)   If any city council member, including the mayor, misses more than 10 percent of the total number of regular meetings held by the city council during any salary year, then the city council member’s salary provided for under Subsection (a) for that year will be reduced proportionately by the percentage of meetings missed. For purposes of this subsection, regular meetings include both those held by the full city council and those held by the standing city council committees on which a member serves. Meetings missed by a city council member while he or she is on the official business of the city council and at the direction of the city council will not be counted towards the percentage of missed meetings for which salary reduction is required under this subsection, but will be counted as though the member had attended the meetings that are missed while so engaged in city business. (Amend. of 5-5-01, Prop. No. 1; Amend. of 11-4-14, Prop. No. 8; Amend. of 11-5-24)
SEC. 5.   VACANCIES IN THE CITY COUNCIL; HOW FILLED.
   (a)   If a vacancy occurs on the city council, the vacancy must be filled at a special election for that purpose unless a general election that would fill the vacant place is scheduled to occur within 120 days after the vacancy occurred. As soon as practicable after the occurrence of the vacancy, the city council shall call a special election to be held at the next authorized election date that is at least 60 days after the date of the occurrence of the vacancy.
   (b)   A person selected to fill a vacancy on the city council shall serve only until the next general city election for that place.
   (c)   If a candidate duly elected to the city council at the general election fails to take the oath of office on or before 10 days after the beginning of the term, then that place will be considered a vacancy and filled as provided in this section for other vacancies. If a candidate elected to the city council at a special election fails to take the oath of office on or before 10 days after the official canvass of the election, then that place will be considered a vacancy and filled as provided in this section for other vacancies.
   (d)   In the event of the death or disability of all members of the city council for any reason, such that the city council is unable to call an election to fill vacancies on the city council, the city attorney is authorized to institute an action on behalf of the city in the district court of Dallas County, Texas to obtain an appropriate order declaring an emergency and calling a special election to fill the city council vacancies. If state law provides for the manner and method of calling such an election, then state law shall be followed in lieu of the instituting of court action by the city attorney. (Amend. of 4-3-76, Prop. No. 2; Amend. of 8-12-89, Prop. No. 1; Amend. of 5-1-93, Prop. No. 6; Amend. of 11-8-05, Prop. No. 4)
SEC. 6.   REGULAR MEETINGS.
   (a)   On the day the members of the city council take office, they shall meet at the building designated as the official city hall, and thereafter all regular meetings of the city council must be held in the city hall building in such locations and at such times as may be prescribed by ordinance, resolution, or lawfully-posted notice.
   (b)   For purposes of this Charter, a regular meeting of the city council means a meeting of the full city council at which city council members vote or are briefed on matters of interest to the city. (Amend. of 6-12-73, Prop. No. 5; Amend. of 8-12-89, Prop. No. 5; Amend. of 5-1-93, Prop. No. 5; Amend. of 11-4-14, Prop. No. 9)
SEC. 7.   SPECIAL MEETINGS.
   Special meetings shall be called by the city secretary upon the written request of the mayor, the city manager or three members of the council. Any such notice shall state the subject to be considered at the
special meeting and may provide for the taking up of any other matters presented at such meeting.
SEC. 8.    OPEN MEETINGS; SPEAKERS.
   (a)   All official meetings of the city council and of all city council committees must be open to the public as provided by state law. Those meetings involving an attorney and client relationship, or other matters authorized by law to be deliberated in closed session, need not be open to the public.
   (b)   The city council shall adopt rules of procedure that provide reasonable opportunity for people to be heard by the city council. (Amend. of 5-1-93, Prop. No. 5; Amend. of 11-5-24)
SEC. 9.   CITY COUNCIL QUORUM.
   A quorum shall consist of nine members, except when the number of city council members, due to vacancies, is reduced to less than nine, in which event a quorum shall consist of all of the remaining city council members; but a less number than a quorum may adjourn from time to time and compel the attendance of absent members in such manner and under such penalties as may be prescribed by ordinance. (Amend. of 8-12-89, Prop. No. 1)
SEC. 10.   COUNCIL VOTE.
   No member shall be excused from voting except on matters involving the consideration of his or her own official conduct, where required by law, or where his or her financial interests are involved, and in these instances, the member shall not vote. The council shall determine its own rules of procedure, and may punish its members for misconduct, and may compel the attendance of absent members. (Amend. of 11-8-05, Prop. No. 13; Amend. of 11-4-14, Prop. No. 9)
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