20220223_215352_875404_Sec._4.12.___Procedure_to_enact_legislation.Sec. 4.12. Procedure to enact legislation.
The Council may legislate and act only by ordinance, resolution or motion; and all ordinances, resolutions or motions, except ordinances making appropriations, shall be confined to one
subject, which shall be clearly expressed in the title, and ordinances making appropriations shall be confined to the subject of appropriations. The enacting clause of every ordinance
shall be, "BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS". Before any ordinance shall be adopted, the attorney for the city shall approve such ordinance in writing
as to form or shall file with the City Secretary written legal objections thereto. Every ordinance enacted by the Council shall be signed by the Mayor, however, should the Mayor refuse
to sign or is unable to sign in his or her official capacity the Mayor Pro-Tem shall act in his or her stead. Should neither the Mayor nor Mayor Pro-Tem be able to perform, any two
(2) Councilmembers shall sign the ordinance. Every ordinance shall be filed with and recorded by the City Secretary before the same shall become effective. Every ordinance shall become
effective upon adoption, or at any later time specified in the ordinance, except that every ordinance imposing any penalty, fine or forfeiture shall become effective after the procedures
in Article IV, Section 4.13 of this Charter have been followed.
Except as otherwise provided in this charter, no ordinance shall be finally passed until it has been considered by the Council at two (2) separate council meetings unless the requirements
for reading it on two (2) separate days be dispensed with by the affirmative vote of a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the Council qualified and serving. The requirement of consideration
on an ordinance at two (2) separate council meetings shall not apply and only one (1) reading at one (1) Council meeting shall be required for the final passage of an ordinance relating
to:
(1) The adoption or amendment of a budget;
(2) The assessment, levy or collection of taxes;
(3) The calling of an election or the canvassing of the returns and declaration of the results of an election;
(4) An emergency; or
(5) When a state statute provides that it controls over a city charter.
In the event an ordinance is adopted as an emergency measure, the same shall be expressed in the title and the body of such ordinance. The Council may adopt emergency ordinances only
to meet public emergencies affecting life, health, property, or the public peace. In particular, such ordinances shall not levy taxes, grant or renew or extend a franchise, or regulate
the rate charged by any public utility for its services. Neither shall they authorize the borrowing of money, except as provided in Article XI. After adoption, an ordinance shall not
be amended or repealed except by the adoption of another ordinance amending or repealing the original ordinance. Any member of Council may offer any ordinance in writing that he desires
after it has been approved by the attorney for the city as to form and has been placed on the agenda of a regular Council meeting.
An emergency ordinance shall be introduced in the form and manner generally prescribed for ordinances, except that it shall be plainly designated in the title as an emergency ordinance
and shall contain, after the enacting clause, a declaration stating that an emergency exists and describing it in clear and specific terms. An emergency ordinance can be adopted with
or without amendment or rejected at the meeting at which it is introduced. The affirmative vote of at least two-thirds (2/3) of the members of Council present shall be required for
adoption. After adoption, the ordinance shall be published as required for other adopted ordinances and shall become effective in the same manner. Every emergency ordinance so adopted,
except one authorizing the borrowing of money as described herein, shall automatically stand repealed as of the sixty-first (61st) day following the day on which it became effective,
but this shall not prevent reenactment as a regular ordinance."