Government
Quick Links
- 2011 Election
- City Council
- City Council Candidate Filings
- City Departments
- City Events
- City News
- Community Links
- Directions
- Employment
- Floodplain Information
- How Do I?
- HVTV
- Legal Notices
- New Resident Info
- Public Information Act (Open Record Request)
- Recycling
- Red, White & Blue Festival
- Senior All-Stars
- Utility Billing
- Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteer Opportunities
You can contribute to your community by serving on a board, commission, committee or running for elected office. Ways to contribute to your community:Boards and Committees –
The city secretary’s office accepts applications from interested citizens who would like to volunteer their time to serve on a board, commission or committee. If you would like additional information, please click here to learn about each board, commission or committee. Applications received by the city secretary’s office will remain on file for one year. All applications are considered by Council when they make their annual appointments in September. Volunteer Application
Get involved - Become a City Council member!
If you are interested in becoming a City Council member, please note the following. In order to file for a place on the ballot for an elective City office, the following qualifications must be met:
- The Mayor and each Councilmember shall be a citizen of the City for a period of twelve (12) months, and a qualified voter of the State of Texas.
- If the Mayor or any Council member fails to maintain the foregoing Qualifications or
- is convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude,
- holds any other public office other than as a notary public or a member of the military,
- shall move from the City,
- shall miss three consecutive regularly scheduled meetings, without valid excuse as determined by the Council,
- violates this Charter, the Council shall at its next regular meeting declare a vacancy to exist and shall fill said vacancy as set forth in the City Charter.
- If the Mayor or any Councilmember files an application to be a candidate for election to a public office in this state, other than for reelection to the currently held office, such filing shall constitute a forfeiture of the office and a vacancy shall be created.
(City Charter, ARTICLE III–CITY COUNCIL, Sec. 3.04. Member Qualification)
Filing for Office
- Eligibility to File. Each candidate for any elective City office shall meet the following qualifications:
- shall be a qualified and effectively registered voter of the City;
- shall have resided within the corporate limits of the City, including the annexed territory, for the twelve consecutive months prior to the filing deadline;
- shall meet the requirements of sponsorship required in Section 8.02B;
- shall not file for more than one office or position number per election;
- shall resign from the office and the position declared vacant if an incumbent and seeking another office or position number;
- shall not continue as a City employee after becoming a candidate for an elective office.
- Procedure and Scheduling for Filing. Any qualified voter of the City meeting the qualifications stated in Section 8.02 A may be nominated for an elective office by petition of the minimum number of qualified voters required by State law, who shall be designated his sponsors. No voter shall sign more than one sponsoring or nominating petition for a particular office or position number. If a voter does sign more than one, his signature shall be void except as to the first filed of the petitions signed by him. All signatures of a nominating petition shall be in ink and shall include the signer's address and the date of his signing. The signed petition shall be filed with the City Secretary not earlier than ninety days nor later than the normal posted close of business, forty-five days before the election.
- Certificate of Petition. Within five working days after the filing of a nominating petition, the City Secretary shall notify the candidate whether or not the petition satisfied the requirements prescribed in this Charter. If a petition is found insufficient, the City Secretary shall return it immediately to the candidate with a statement certifying wherein it is insufficient. Within the regular time for filing petitions, the candidate may file a new petition. The City Secretary shall keep on file all petitions found sufficient, at least until the expiration of the term of office for which the candidates were nominated.
- Public Disclosure. Candidates shall file with the City Secretary twenty-one days prior to the day of election a financial disclosure statement pertaining to the candidate, the candidate's spouse and dependent minor children, consisting of the following:
- list of all property owned or held in trust within the City limits and extraterritorial jurisdiction. This list will include location, size and current use;
- list of all fees, salaries, or gifts of value exceeding ten dollars received from companies or individuals under contract with the City during the twelve months prior to filing for public office;
- list of ownership of stocks in companies under contract to the City when such stock comprises more than two percent of the company’s total outstanding stock.
(City Charter ARTICLE VIII. NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS Sec. 8.02. Filing for Office)
For more information, contact the City Secretary’s office at 972-899-5132