City of Lake Jackson, Texas - Election Information

VOTE EARLY April 26^th - May 4^that Brazosport College. You may also vote at any of the other early voting locations within Brazoria County see Early Voting Locations.

Election Day voting for all Lake Jackson Precincts will be at the Lake Jackson Civic Center from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Voter Registration

For voter registration information, please call:

Brazoria County Voter Registration – (979) 388.1131

Voter Registration operates out of the Brazoria County Tax Office - Ro'Vin Garrett

Secretary of State – Voter Registration

https://team1.sos.state.tx.us/voterws/viw/faces/Introduction.jsp

Secretary of State – Voter Information

http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/voter/index.shtml

1.800.252.VOTE (8683) - Hours of Operation 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Mon. through Fri.

City of Lake Jackson Home Rule Charter – Article 3 – The City Council

Sec. 3.01. Number, selection and term.

The legislative and governing body of the city shall consist of a mayor and five (5) councilmen and shall be known as the "Council of the City of Lake Jackson."

(a) The mayor shall be elected to office from the city at large.

(b) The other members of the city council shall be elected to office by position from the city at large. There shall be five (5) council positions, which shall be designated Position One, Position Two, Position Three, Position Four and Position Five. Each council position shall constitute a separate office. A candidate for the office of councilman shall be elected only to the council position for which he has filed an application as a candidate in the manner provided in article 5 of this Charter. Every qualified voter in the city shall be entitled to vote on a candidate for each council position.

(c) In each even-numbered calendar year a mayor and councilman for Position Two and Position Four shall be elected, and in each odd-numbered year councilmen for Position One, Position Three and Position Five shall be elected.

(d) The mayor and each councilman shall hold office for a period of two (2) years and until his successor is elected and qualified. All elections shall be held in the manner provided in article 5 of this Charter.

(e) The mayor shall be the presiding officer of the city council and shall be recognized as the head of the city government for all ceremonial purposes and by the governor for purposes of military law, but shall have no regular administrative duties. The mayor shall be entitled to vote on all matters under consideration by the city council.

(f) (1) A person who has served three (3) terms as a councilmember shall not be

eligible to serve in such office thereafter for a period of 18 months, at which time

that person's eligibility to serve another three (3) terms for that office shall be

restored. A person who is elected as a councilmember at any city election or who is

appointed or elected to serve an unfinished term of office shall be deemed to have

served one (1) term.

(2) A person who has served one (1), two (2), or three (3) terms as a councilmember shall be eligible to serve another three (3) terms as mayor.

(3) A person who has served three (3) terms as mayor shall not be eligible to serve as a councilmember or as mayor thereafter for a period of 18 months, at which time that person's eligibility to serve another three (3) terms in those offices shall be restored. A person who is elected as mayor at any city election or who is appointed or elected to serve an unfinished mayoral term of office shall be deemed to have served one (1) term.

(4) This section shall apply to those who fill the offices of mayor and councilmember on and after May 1, 1996, and shall supersede and replace the requirements of ballot proposition number 1 (Ordinance #92-1196) adopted on May 2, 1992.

(f) Persons serving in the positions of mayor or councilmember on May 1, 1996, shall be deemed to be serving in the actual number of consecutive terms they have actually consecutively entered into to that point.

Sec. 3.02. Qualifications.

Each member of the city council shall be a resident citizen of the City of Lake Jackson, shall be a qualified voter of the State of Texas, shall be at least twenty-one (21) years of age, shall have been such a resident of the City of Lake Jackson for a period of not less than twelve (12) months preceding his election, and shall not be indebted to the City of Lake Jackson; provided, however, that any person with all of the above qualifications, except as to residence, who shall have been a resident for a period of not less than twelve (12) months immediately preceding his election of any of the territory not formerly within the corporate limits of said city but which is annexed under the provisions of Section 1.03 of the Charter, shall be eligible for said office. If the mayor or any councilman fails to maintain the foregoing qualifications or shall be absent from three (3) consecutive regularly scheduled meetings without valid excuse, the city council must at its next regular meeting declare a vacancy to exist and shall fill said vacancy as set forth in Section 3.06 of this Charter.

Sec. 3.03. Council to be judge of election and qualification.

The city council shall be the judge of the election and qualification of its own members and other elected officials of the city.

Sec. 3.04. Compensation.

(a) The city council shall fix the compensation to be received by its members for attendance at its meetings; provided, however, that not more than thirty-seven dollars and fifty cents ($37.50) per meeting shall be allowed per councilmember and that no councilmember shall receive more than seventy-five dollars ($75.00) in any one (1) month for attendance at such meetings; and that the mayor shall not receive more than two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) in any one (1) month.

(b) The city council may, by ordinance, provide for the payment of or the reimbursement of expenses incurred by the mayor and councilmen when all or any of them are required to be out of the city attending to the business of the city.

Sec. 3.05. Mayor pro-tem.

The city council, at its first meeting after election of councilmen, shall elect one (1) of its number mayor pro-tem, and he shall perform all the duties of the mayor in the absence or disability of the mayor.

Sec. 3.06. Vacancies.

When a vacancy occurs in the city council, the remaining members of the council shall, within ten (10) days (except within sixty (60) days of a regular city election or during a run-off election period), appoint a qualified person to fill the unexpired term. In the event of subsequent vacancies, the council will appoint a qualified replacement within ten (10) days (except within sixty (60) days of a regular city election or during a run-off election period). All subsequent vacancies must be filled at the next regular city election.

Sec. 3.07. Powers of the city council.

All powers of the city and the determination of all matters of policy shall be vested in the city council. Without limitation of the foregoing and among the other powers that may be exercised by the city council, the following are hereby enumerated for greater certainty:

(a) Remove from any office or position of employment in the city government, any officer or employee or member of any board or commission, unless that person reports to the city manager or is employed in one (1) of the city departments under the direction of the city manager.

(b) Establish, consolidate or abolish administrative departments and distribute the work of divisions.

(d) Authorize the issuance of bonds by a bond ordinance.

(e) Inquire into the conduct of any office, department or agency of the city and make investigations as to municipal affairs.

(f) Provide for such additional boards and commissions, not otherwise provided for in this Charter, as may be deemed necessary, and appoint the members of all such boards and commissions. Such boards and commissions shall have all powers and duties now or hereafter conferred and created by this Charter, by city ordinance or by law.

(g) Adopt and modify the zoning plan and the building code of the city.

(h) Adopt and modify the official map of the city.

(i) Adopt, modify and carry out plans proposed by the planning commission for the clearance of slum districts and rehabilitation of blighted areas.

(j) Adopt, modify and carry out plans proposed by the planning commission for the replanning, improvement and redevelopment of any area or district which may have been destroyed in whole or in part by disaster.

(k) Regulate, license and fix the charges or fares made by any person, firm or corporation owning, operating or controlling any vehicle of any character used for the carrying of passengers for hire or the transportation of freight for hire on the public streets and alleys of the city.

(l) Provide for the establishment and designation of fire limits and prescribe the kind and character of buildings or structures or improvements to be erected therein, and provide for the erection of fireproof buildings within said limits, and provide for the condemnation of dangerous structures or buildings or dilapidated buildings, or buildings calculated to increase the fire hazard and prescribe the manner of their removal or destruction within said limits.

(m) Fix the salaries and compensation of the city officers and employees.

(n) Provide for a sanitary sewer and water system and require property owners to connect their premises with such sewer system, and provide for penalties for failure to make sanitary sewer connections.

(o) Provide for sanitary garbage disposal, and set fees and charges therefore, and provide penalties for failure to pay such fees and charges.

(p) Exercise exclusive dominion, control and jurisdiction in, upon, over and under the public streets, avenues, sidewalks, alleys, highways, boulevards and public grounds of the city and provide for the improvement of same as provided in Vernon's Ann. Civ. St. art. 1105b, as now or hereafter amended.

(q) Compromise and settle any and all claims and lawsuits of every kind and character in favor of or against the City of Lake Jackson.

Sec. 3.08. City council not to interfere in appointments.

Neither the city council nor any of its members shall direct the appointment of any person to office by the city manager or by any of his subordinates. Except for the purpose of inquiry, the city council and its members shall deal with the administrative services solely through the city manager and neither the city council nor any member thereof shall give orders to any subordinate of the city manager, either publicly or privately.

Sec. 3.09. Meetings of the city council.

The city council shall hold at least one (1) regular meeting in each month at a time to be fixed by it for such regular meetings, and may hold as many additional meetings during the month as may be necessary for the transaction of the business of the city and its citizens. All meetings of the city council shall be public and shall be held at the city hall, except that the city council may designate another place for such meetings after publishing due notice thereof in one (1) issue of a newspaper in general circulation in the City of Lake Jackson. The mayor or any two (2) members of the city council may call special meetings of the city council at any time.

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