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Vacancies in the City Council shall be filled by special elections from the districts whose places have been vacated. Vacancies in the office of mayor shall be filled under the provisions applicable to other council members except that the district of the mayor shall be the city as a whole. These special elections shall be held on the first available election date specified in the Texas Election Code unless the council shall request, and receive, permission from the governor to call an emergency special election. If vacancies should occur within thirty (30) days of the special election date, the council may set the election for the next date following the impending special election date or it may request permission for an emergency special election from the governor.
In the event any candidate for a vacancy fails to receive a majority of all votes cast for all the candidates for such vacancy at such special election, the mayor shall on the first day following the completion of the official count of the ballots cast at said special election issue a call for a run-off election pursuant to Chapter IV, section 2, to be held in accordance with the Texas Election Code to determine who shall be elected. Such new council members, when duly qualified and elected, shall serve for the unexpired period of the terms of the council members whose offices are being filled. However, no such elections shall be held where said vacancy shall occur within a period of less than ninety (90) days prior to a general election as specified in Chapter IV, section 2. When a vacancy shall occur less than ninety (90) days prior to the general election as specified in Chapter IV, section 2, a majority of the remaining council members may appoint a qualified person from the district whose place has been vacated to serve the unexpired term.
Should a vacancy occur in the office of mayor, the mayor pro tem shall serve until a special election shall be called under the rules pertaining to filling vacancies among the other councilmembers. If members of the City Council seek the office of mayor in such a special election, they shall first resign from the City Council, and special elections, simultaneous to the mayoral election, shall be held in their districts under the terms specified above.
(Ord. 10272, § I(II), 3-16-1989, approved 5-6-1989; Ord. 16797, § 1(III), 1-24-2006, approved 5-13-2006)
The City Council shall hold a meeting within the city limits of Fort Worth for the purpose of canvassing the election results. The elected members of the new Council may take the oath of office at the same City Council meeting where the election results are canvassed, but all elected members shall take the oath of office no later than the next City Council meeting after the results are canvassed. Special meetings may be called by the Mayor or by any three (3) Councilmembers. Such call shall be in writing and shall state the object of the meeting, and no business shall be transacted at such meeting other than that specified in the call. The Council shall meet at such times and places as may be prescribed by ordinance or resolution but not less than forty-four (44) regular and special meetings shall be held each calendar year.
A quorum shall consist of two-thirds (2/3) of the members. All official meetings of the Council and all sessions of the Committees of the Council shall be public except as authorized by law. The ayes and nos shall be taken upon the passage of all ordinances or resolutions and entered upon the minutes of the proceedings of the Council, and every ordinance or resolution shall require on final passage the affirmative vote of a majority of all of the remaining members.
No member shall be excused from voting except on matters involving the consideration of his own official conduct, or where his financial interests are involved, or unless excused by the Council for other valid reasons by majority 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.
(Ord. 16797, § 1(II), (V), 1-24-2006, approved 5-13-2006; Ord. 22081-02-2016, § 2(II), (V), 2-2-2016, approved 5-7-2016)
Editor’s Note:
Proposition 2 of Ord. 22081-02-2016, adopted 5-7- 2016 increased the number of Councilmembers from nine (9) to eleven (11). This increase will not go into effect until after the 2020 census.
The City Council shall elect one of its members as mayor pro tem, who shall perform the duties of mayor in case of the absence or inability of the mayor to perform the duties of his office, and shall for the time being be vested with all the powers belonging to the mayor. In case of the absence of both the mayor and the mayor pro tem, the remaining councilpersons shall elect one of their members to act in the place of the mayor or mayor pro tem.
The City Council shall appoint a city secretary and prescribe the duties and compensation of said officer, and shall provide him with such assistance as it may deem necessary. He shall hold office during the pleasure of the City Council. During his term of office, the city secretary shall be a resident citizen of the City of Fort Worth.
No person elected to the City Council shall, during the term for which he/she was elected, be appointed to any office or position in the service of the city. If a member of the council shall become a candidate for nomination or election to any public office, other than that of councilperson, he/she shall forfeit his place in the council; but shall continue to hold the office until a successor is duly qualified in cases in which such holdover is required by state law.
(Ord. 16797, § 1(VI), 1-24-2006, approved 5-13-2006; Ord. 22081-02-2016, § 2(XI), 2-2-2016, approved 5-7-2016)
Editor's note:
See Texas Local Government Code Chapter 150, Section 150.041, for state legislation affecting the enforceability of this section.
See Texas Local Government Code Chapter 150, Section 150.041, for state legislation affecting the enforceability of this section.