04-14-12 Special Meeting of La Porte City Council (council retreat)

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PARTI- CHARTER CHARTER COMPARATIVE TABLE date on which it was submitted to council. a. Initiative. A proposed initiative ordinance shall be read and provision made for a public hearing on such before the time set for final action. b. Referendum. A referred ordinance shall be considered by council and its final vote upon such reconsideration shall be upon the question, "Shall the ordinance in the referendum petition be repealed?" 6.05. - Election on referendum or initiative. a. Submission to electors. If council shall fail to pass an ordinance proposed by initiative petition or shall pass it in a form different from that set forth in the petition therefor, or if council fails to repeal a referred ordinance, the proposed or referred ordinance shall be submitted to the electors on the next election day as established by the laws of the State of Texas. Council may, in its discretion, and if no regular election is to be held on such day shall, provide for a special election. b. Form of ballot. Ordinances submitted to vote of electors in accordance with this article shall be submitted by ballot title, which shall be prepared in all cases by the city attorney. The ballot title may be different from the legal title of any such initiated or referred ordinance and shall be a clear, concise statement, without argument or prejudice, descriptive of the substance of such ordinance. Below the ballot title shall appear the following propositions, one preceding the other, in the order indicated: "FOR THE ORDINANCE" and "AGAINST THE ORDINANCE." Any number of ordinances may be voted on at the same election and may be submitted on the same ballot, but any paper ballot used for voting thereon shall be for that purpose only. c. Results. If a majority of the electors voting on a proposed initiative ordinance shall vote in favor thereof, it shall thereupon be an ordinance of the city. A referred ordinance which is not approved by a majority of the electors voting thereon shall thereupon be deemed repealed. If conflicting ordinances are approved by the electors at the same election, the one receiving the greatest number of affirmative votes shall prevail to the extent of such conflict. 6.06. - Amendment of initiative or referendum ordinances. Initiative and referendum ordinances adopted or approved by the electors shall be published, and may be amended or repealed by council, as in the case of other ordinances. 6.07. - Power of recall. The mayor or any councilperson may be removed from office by recall. No recall petition shall be filed against the mayor or a councilperson within six (6) months after he takes office nor in respect to an officer subjected to a recall election and not removed thereby, until at least six (6) months after such election. 6.08. - Procedure for recall petition. a. Affidavit. Any elector of the city may make and file with the city secretary an affidavit containing the name or names of the officer or officers whose removal is sought and a statement of the grounds for removal. Page 23 of 32 La Porte, Texas, Code of Ordinances