Title
Discuss and consider items requested for review by the City Attorney.
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DISCUSSION:
The City Attorney will provide information regarding the following items discussed at the May 20, 2026, Charter Review Committee meeting.
1. Determine whether grammatical and spelling errors can be made without being placed on the ballot for a Charter amendment.
According to the City Attorney, Texas law provides that grammatical or punctuation errors do not invalidate a law. Section 312.012 of the Texas Government Code states that if a sentence or clause is rendered unclear due to a grammatical error, words or clauses may be transposed to give the provision meaning. The statute further provides that punctuation does not control or affect legislative intent. While state law allows for the interpretation of provisions despite such errors, the Charter Review Committee may wish to consider a charter provision that authorizes administrative corrections of grammatical, typographical, or punctuation errors to improve clarity and consistency without altering the substantive meaning or intent of the Charter.
Proposed language has been outlined below.
Sec. 9.21. - Charter renumbering.
The City Council shall have the power, by ordinance, to renumber articles, sections, subsections, and subparagraphs of this Charter or any amendment thereto, and to correct grammatical or punctuation errors, as it shall deem appropriate. [Underlined language added]
2. Can residency requirements for being on the City Council be strengthened in the Charter?
Current language in the Charter reads as follows:
Section 2.02 - Qualifications; code of ethics; removal from office.
The members of the Council shall be qualified voters of the City who have been residents of the City for at least one (1) year and, except for the mayor, a resident of the Councilmember district from which the person seeks election for at least six (6) months, prior to the date of election and who shall never have been ...
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