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Every city in Texas operates under either
General City Law or Home Rule.
General Law usually pertains to smaller cities (less than
5,000 population) whose powers are limited.
Home rule cities, which Duncanville is
one, are cities over 5,000 in population in which the citizens
have adopted home rule charter.
Home Rule Charter
- Establishes the city’s government
structure
- Provides for distribution of powers
and duties
- Must be approved by the people at an
election
- Changes in the charter must be approved
by a vote of the people
Home Rule is the right of the citizen to
manage their own affairs with minimum interference of the
state.
General Law cities must look at state
law to see what they can do. Home Rule Charter cities look
at the state constitution and state laws to see what they
may not do. If the proposed action is not prohibited, they
can proceed.
Inherent Powers of Home Rule Cities
- Municipal Organization
- Annexation
- Initiative, Referendum, and Recall
- Charter Amendments
- Limitation on Home Rule Powers
Every home rule city operates under
one of two types of government:
- Mayor - Council
- Council - Manager
Council – Manager Plan (Duncanville)
Of more than 300 home rule cities in the
state, nearly 87% operate under the council-manager form
of government.
Council – Manager Plan is similar
to that of a private corporation where the stockholders
elect a board of directors, which then hires a president
to run the company.
- Citizens elect a city council which,
in turn, hires a city manager to administer the city’s
day-to-day affairs
- Council serves as the legislative body
- Sets policy
- Approves the budget and sets tax rate
- Determines the size of the payroll
- Establishes the extent and cost of municipal services
- The council is the final
authority on all of the policy decisions and determine
the scope and functions of the city government.
- Under this plan the mayor and council
members have no administrative duties. These are vested
in the city manager.
- The city manager is appointed for an
indefinite term and is subject to dismissal by the council
at any time.
- The city manager has the unilateral
authority to hire, discipline, and fire the department
heads.
- Some positions such as city
attorney and/or municipal judges are sometimes hired
and/or supervised by the council
The makeup of the Duncanville City Council
- The council consists of seven (7) members
– a Mayor and six (6) Council Members for a term
of two (2) years.
- Five (5) Council Members are elected
from single-member districts with the Mayor and one (1)
Council Member elected at large.
Powers of the Council
- Appoint and remove
the City Manager
- Upon the recommendation
of the City Manager, establish other administrative departments
and distribute the work of divisions
- Adopt the budget
of the City
- Authorize the
issuance of bonds by a bond ordinance
- Inquire into the
conduct of any office, department or agency of the City
- Appoint the members of the Planning
& Zoning Commission
- Appoint the members of the Board of
Adjustment
- Regulate and restrict buildings and
structures through zoning ordinances
- Provide an independent audit
- Appoint a City Attorney
Powers of the City Manager
- Appoint, and when
necessary, remove any officer or employee of the City
except as otherwise provided in the City Charter
- Prepare and submit
to the Council an annual budget and the administration
of the budget
- Prepare and submit
to the Council as of the end of the fiscal year a complete
report on the finances.
- Keep the Council advised of the financial
and future needs of the City
- Perform such other duties as may be
prescribed by the Charter or required by the Council
- Attend all meetings of the Council
City of Duncanville, Texas
203 E. Wheatland Road
P.O. Box 380280
Duncanville, TX 75138-0280
972-780-5017
© Duncanville,
Texas 2003
Disclaimer
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