www.elpasotexas.gov - Powers And Duties Of The Mayor

Article III - THE CITY COUNCIL

Section 3.1	CREATION; COMPOSITION; POWERS AND DUTIES.
Section 3.2	SALARIES.
Section 3.3	PROHIBITIONS.
Section 3.4	DETERMINATION OF ELECTIONS AND QUALIFICATIONS.
Section 3.5	CITY COUNCIL PROCEDURES AND RULES.
Section 3.6	LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES.
Section 3.7	APPOINTMENTS.
Section 3.8	INVESTIGATIVE POWERS.
Section 3.9	ORDINANCES IN GENERAL.
Section 3.10	EMERGENCY ORDINANCES.
Section 3.11	INITIATIVE.
Section 3.11A	REFERENDUM.
Section 3.12	RESOLUTIONS.
Section 3.13	CODES OF TECHNICAL REGULATIONS.
Section 3.14	AUTHENTICATION AND RECORDING; CODIFICATION; PRINTING.
Section 3.15	CONSERVATION.
Section 3.16	BORDER RELATIONS.
Section 3.17	ANNEXATION OF TERRITORY.
Section 3.18	LEASE; FRANCHISE; AND CONVEYANCE.
Section 3.19	PROHIBITING THE SALE OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES IN RESIDENTIAL SECTIONS OF THE CITY.

Section 3.1 CREATION; COMPOSITION; POWERS AND DUTIES.

There shall be a City Council consisting of District Representatives and the Mayor. The Council shall have legislative powers, and the power and duty to select, direct, and regularly evaluate the City Manager, as well as such other and specific powers and duties as may be provided by law or this Charter. Each Representative shall have the discretion and sole authority to appoint and remove a legislative aide.

Section 3.5 CITY COUNCIL PROCEDURES AND RULES.

Meetings. Regular meetings of the Council shall be held in Council chambers a minimum of one time per week at such times as may be prescribed by resolution. Provided however, that the Council by resolution may cancel one or more regular meetings, not to exceed three meetings during each calendar year, provided that such canceled meetings are not consecutive. Special meetings and informal work sessions of the Council shall be called by the Mayor or a majority of the entire Council by giving written notice to the City Clerk. All meetings of the Council and of any committees thereof shall be held as permitted by the Texas Open Meetings Act.
Parliamentary Procedure. At the beginning of each term the Council shall adopt rules of order, and should the Council fail to do this, then Roberts Rules of Order, Revised, shall control until such time as the Council adopts some other rules of order. In any event, copies of rules of order employed by the Council shall be available, in the office of the City Clerk, for examination by interested persons. The Mayor, with the advice and consent of the Representatives, shall designate a Municipal Parliamentarian and Alternate Municipal Parliamentarians, but no members of the Council may hold those offices. The Council must keep minutes of its open proceedings, and these shall be a public record. It shall also have power to compel the attendance of absent members, and, by the favorable vote of a majority of the entire Council, may expel a member from a Council meeting for disorderly conduct or serious violation of its rules and may order that member to be physically removed from the meeting.
Quorum. Except as otherwise provided in this Charter, a quorum to do business shall consist in more than one-half of the number of members of the Council, including the Mayor; provided, however, that a lesser number may adjourn until a specific time and compel the attendance of absent members, in the manner prescribed by ordinance.
Voting. Voting, except on procedural motions, shall be by roll call and the vote shall be recorded in the minutes. No action of the Council, except as otherwise provided in this Charter, shall be valid or binding unless adopted by the affirmative vote of a majority of the members present and voting. Ordinances that impose taxes, grant franchises or leases, or authorize conveyances shall not be valid unless adopted by a majority of the entire Council.
Veto. Ordinances and resolutions finally adopted by the Council shall be filed in the office of the City Clerk and signed by the Mayor before they take effect. If the Mayor vetoes the ordinance or resolution, reasons shall be set forth by the Mayor in writing, and the ordinance or resolution with those reasons shall be returned to the Council. However, the Mayor shall not have any veto power over any City Council action which removes the City Manager. To override the Mayor’s veto, three fourths of all of the Representatives must vote in favor of the returned ordinance or resolution, in which event the adopted ordinance or resolution shall become law. If the Mayor shall either fail to approve or object in writing to any adopted ordinance or resolution within five days after it has been filed with the City Clerk, exclusive of the day of filing, it shall become law.

Section 3.6 LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES.

The Representatives may resolve themselves into committees, both standing and special, when this is convenient for the conduct of legislative business, including the investigative powers described in Section 3.8. Rules governing the organization and procedures of these committees shall be made by the Council, and the Mayor shall have no power to veto any of those rules except upon grounds of illegality.

Section 3.7 APPOINTMENTS.

The City Attorney. Whenever a vacancy in the position of City Attorney or any Assistant City Attorney occurs, the Mayor shall appoint a successor with a majority vote of the entire Council. Candidates for this position may be nominated by any member of the Council. The City Attorney or any Assistant City Attorney may be removed by the Mayor with a majority vote of the entire Council.
Boards and Commissions. Except where otherwise provided in this Charter, or by the laws of Texas, or of the United States, appointments to and removals from standing or special public boards, commissions or committees of the City shall be made by the Council. The Council is required to ensure that appointments are distributed uniformly among Representatives.
http://www.elpasotexas.gov/muni_clerk/list1.asp

Section 3.15 CONSERVATION.

The Council must, in consultation with the Public Service Board, and within two years following the adoption of this Charter, enact and maintain a comprehensive plan for the conservation of water and other natural resources. The plan shall take into consideration the impact on natural resources resulting from any governmental action, including, but not limited to, land use, zoning regulations, building code requirements, and development and operation of public facilities. The City shall continue to implement the plan by using such means as the Council makes available to acquire, conserve and preserve natural resources for future generations.

Section 3.16 BORDER RELATIONS.

The Council must, within one year following the adoption of this Charter, provide for the duties, appointment, structure, terms of office and filling of vacancies on a standing Committee on Border Relations, comprised of El Paso citizens.

The Committee on Border Relations shall propose, promote and, from time to time, revise a program to enhance relations with Ciudad Juarez and with the border area in proximity to El Paso.

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