The Mayor and City Council request that all cell phones be turned off or set to vibrate. Members of the audience are requested to step outside the Council Chambers to respond or to conduct a phone conversation.

BACKGROUND

The City Council established a Charter Review Commission in March 2022 with the following charge: “Review the City of Sachse’s home rule Charter to determine if any revisions need to be made to the document and make a recommendation to the City Council regarding the Commission’s findings.” Scott McMurdie, Charter Review Commission Chairperson, provided a summary report on behalf of the group at the July 18 Council meeting. The City Council reviewed and discussed the recommendations at the August 10 Special Council meeting. The Council directed the City Attorney to draft an ordinance calling a November election. Council approved an ordinance on August 15, 2022, ordering a Special Charter Amendment Election to be held on November 8, 2022.

OVERVIEW

In order to declare the results official, the City Council must canvass the results. The proposed ordinance will declare the results for:

• Proposition A: Shall Article II, Section 2.02 of the Home Rule Charter be amended to correct a grammatical error?
• Proposition B: Shall Article III, Section 3.01 of the Home Rule Charter be amended to provide expressly for the numbering of the City Council Member places?
• Proposition C: Shall Article III, Section 3.01 of the Home Rule Charter be amended to clarify the staggering of the dates in which the mayor and city council places are elected?
• Proposition D: Shall the transitional provisions regarding the length of terms of the mayor and council members in Article III, Section 3.02 of the Home Rule Charter be repealed and replaced with provisions establishing term limits for the mayor and members of the City Council?
• Proposition E: Shall Article III, Section 3.04 of the Home Rule Charter be amended to add the word “until” to correct a grammatical error?
• Proposition F: Shall Article III, Section 3.06 (4) of the Home Rule Charter be amended to eliminate the word “uniform” to comply with state law relating to the date of a special election to fill a vacancy in the office of mayor or city council member?
• Proposition G: Shall Article III, Section 3.07(i) of the Home Rule Charter be amended to provide the City Council may adopt plats, or delegate such authority to the Planning and Zoning Commission as provided by state law?
• Proposition H: Shall Article III, Section 3.09 (1) of the Home Rule Charter be amended to provide that the mayor or three city councilmembers may call for a special meeting of the City Council to be held to eliminate a conflict with state law?
• Proposition I: Shall Article III, Section 3.13 of the Home Rule Charter be amended to remove the requirement for the City Council to conduct its meetings in accordance with Roberts Rules of Order because such Section already provides that the City Council shall determine its own order of business?
• Proposition J: Shall Article III, Section 3.14 (3) of the Home Rule Charter be amended to provide for the publication ordinances in a newspaper or as otherwise allowed by law?
• Proposition K: Shall Article III, Section 3.16 of the Home Rule Charter be amended to add subsection (4) to require the City code of ordinances be accessible on the City’s website?
• Proposition L: Shall Article III, Section 3.18 of the Home Rule Charter be amended to provide the City Council may require bonds of municipal officers and employees who receive or pay out city funds?
• Proposition M: Shall Article V, Section 5.02(c) of the Home Rule Charter be amended to provide a person must have resided within the City for at least 12 months prior to the date of election to conform with state law?
• Proposition N: Shall Article VI, Section 6.04 Subsection (3) of the Home Rule Charter be amended to reduce the number of places for signatures on a petition for initiative and referendum from 20 to 10?
• Proposition O: Shall Article VI, Section 6.05 (1) of the Home Rule Charter be amended to increase the time-period from 30 days to 60 days in which to file a petition for initiative and referendum?
• Proposition P: Shall Article VI, Section 6.05 (2) of the Home Rule Charter be amended to increase the time-period from 30 days to 60 days in which to file a petition for recall?
• Proposition Q: Shall Article VII, Section 7.10 of the Home Rule Charter be repealed and reserved for future use to eliminate redundancy with Article VII, Section 7.04?
• Proposition R: Shall Article VII, Section 7.20 of the Home Rule Charter be amended to provide that the city manager may appoint a tax assessor/collector for the City, or the City Council may contract with another governmental entity to perform the duties relating to the assessment and collection of property taxes to conform with state law?
• Proposition S: Shall Article IX, Section 9.01 (2) of the Home Rule Charter be amended to provide that the planning and zoning commission meet as needed rather than at least once of month?
• Proposition T: Shall Article XI, Section 11.07 Subsection (1) (b) of the Home Rule Charter be amended to correct a grammatical error?
• Proposition U: Shall Article XI, Section 11.07 (2) of the Home Rule Charter be amended to provide for the posting on the City’s website of a comprehensive summary of the Charter Commission report presented to the City Council?
• Proposition V: Shall Article XIII of the Home Rule Charter setting forth the transitional provisions enacted upon the original adoption of the Charter be repealed?
• Proposition W: Shall the following sections of the Home Rule Charter be amended to provide for gender neutral language without any substantive change: Section 3.05(1), Section 3.06(1), (2) and (3), Section 3.08(1) and (2), Section 3.11, and Section 3.12 of Article III; Section 4.01 (1), (2), (3) and (5), and Section 4.03 of Article IV; Section 6.04(1), (2) and (3), Section 6.09, Section 6.11(1), (2), and (3), Section 6.12(5), and Section 6.13(1) of Article VI; Section 7.15(1) and Section 7.16 (1) and (2) of Article VII; Section 8.01 (5) of Article VIII; Section 9.03 and Section 9.04(2) of Article IX;  and Section 14.03, Section 14.05, Section 14.06, and Section 14.08 of Article XIV?

POLICY CONSIDERATIONS

Title 6, Chapter 67, Section 67.004 of the Texas Local Government Code and the City of Sachse Home Rule Charter Article V, Section 5.04, requires the governing body to canvass and declare election results. Canvassing must be completed no earlier than three days after the election no later than fourteen days after the election in even numbered years (November 22, 2022). The City is meeting the statutory requirements.

RECOMMENDATION

Approve an ordinance canvassing the returns and declaring the results of the Special Charter Amendment Election held in the City of Sachse on November 8, 2022.

OVERVIEW

A Special Charter Amendment Election was held on November 8, 2022. After receiving certification of votes from Dallas and Collin Counties, Sachse City Council canvassed the election on November 22, 2022. A majority of voters of the City of Sachse approved Propositions A-W to the Home Rule Charter. Adoption of the amendments by ordinance is required.  

POLICY CONSIDERATIONS

State law requires an ordinance adopting the charter amendments following the election canvass. Texas Local Government Code Section 9.005 "Adoption of Charter or Amendment" (a) A proposed charter for a municipality or a proposed amendment to a municipality's charter is adopted if it is approved by a majority of the qualified voters of the municipality who vote at an election held for that purpose. (b) A charter or an amendment does not take effect until the governing body of the municipality enters an order in the records of the municipality declaring that the charter or amendment is adopted.

RECOMMENDATION

Approve the Ordinance adopting the amendments to the Home Rule Charter approved by the voters of the City at an election on November 8, 2022.