From
Mona Lisa Galicia
Title
Ordinance calling for a Special Election on May 5, 2018, providing for a proposed amendment to the Grand Prairie City Charter
Presenter
Catherine DiMaggio, City Secretary
Recommended Action
Approve
Analysis
Special election to place before the voters of the City of Grand Prairie a proposed Charter Amendment.
Financial Consideration
Cost of the election shall be shared among the entities participating in the Dallas County and Tarrant County joint elections.
Body
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF GRAND PRAIRIE, TEXAS, CALLING A SPECIAL ELECTION ON MAY 5, 2018, PROVIDING FOR PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE GRAND PRAIRIE CITY CHARTER
WHEREAS, the City of Grand Prairie, Texas, is a home-rule city having its own Charter under the laws and Constitution of the State of Texas;
WHEREAS, the City of Grand Prairie proposes an amendment to the Grand Prairie City Charter be submitted to the voters of the City of Grand Prairie in a special charter amendment election; and
WHEREAS, the Uniform Election Date for the City’s Special Election has been set as May 5, 2018; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has decided and hereby finds it is in the best interest of the City to order such election for May 5, 2018, and to contract with Dallas County, Texas, and Tarrant County, Texas, for conducting such elections
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GRAND PRAIRIE, TEXAS:
SECTION 1. THAT the hereinafter recited proposed amendment shall be submitted for the consideration of the voters of the City of Grand Prairie at a special election to be held on the next uniform election date as prescribed by Section 41.001, Texas Election Code, said date being May 5, 2018.
SECTION 2. That pursuant to contracts between the City of Grand Prairie and the Dallas County Elections Department and the Tarrant County Elections Department, the election shall be conducted by the Dallas and Tarrant County Elections Departments in precincts of the respective Counties within the City of Grand Prairie, in accordance with the provisions of the respective agreements; and
SECTION 3. That early voting by personal appearance shall be conducted by the Dallas County Elections Department and the Tarrant County Elections Department in accordance with provisions of the respective county agreements.
Main Early Voting Locations:
Dallas County Records Building (Dallas County and Ellis County voters only)
509 Main Street
Dallas, Texas 75202
Tarrant County Election Center (Tarrant County voters only)
2700 Premier Street
Fort Worth, Texas 76111
Early voting locations will be provided within the City of Grand Prairie for Dallas County, Ellis County and Tarrant County at the following locations:
DALLAS COUNTY EARLY VOTING LOCATIONS (INCLUDING ELLIS COUNTY VOTERS WITHIN GRAND PRAIRIE)
Crosswinds High School (Dallas County voters only)
1100 N. Carrier Parkway
Betty Warmack Library (Dallas County voters only)
760 Bardin Road
DALLAS COUNTY EARLY VOTING DATES AND TIMES
April 23 (Monday - Friday) April 27 8 am to 5 pm
April 28 (Saturday) 8 am to 5 pm
April 29 (Sunday) 1 pm to 6 pm
April 30 (Monday - Tuesday) May 1 7 am to 7 pm
TARRANT COUNTY EARLY VOTING LOCATION
Asia Times Square (Tarrant County voters only)
2615 W. Pioneer Parkway
TARRANT COUNTY EARLY VOTING DATES AND TIMES
April 23 (Monday - Friday) April 27 8 am to 5 pm
April 28 (Saturday) 7 am to 7 pm
April 29 (Sunday) 11 am to 4 pm
April 30 (Monday - Tuesday) May 1 7 am to 7 pm
Application for early voting mail ballots by voters qualified to vote by mail shall be made as follows:
§ Dallas County and Ellis County voters may make application for mail ballots directly to the Dallas County Elections Administrator, 2377 N. Stemmons Freeway, Suite 820, Dallas, Texas 75207;
§ Tarrant County voters may make application for mail ballots directly to the Tarrant County Elections Administrator, 2700 Premier Street, Fort Worth, Texas 76111.
§ Applications for ballots by mail must be received no later than April 20, 2018.
SECTION 4. The Mayor is authorized to sign an Order of Election, and that the City Secretary shall cause the notice of the herein called election to be published in accordance with State law.
SECTION 5. That the ballot propositions to be submitted in a format in accordance with Section 9.004, Texas Local Government Code, which states that an amendment may not contain more than one subject and that the ballot shall be prepared so that a voter may approve or disapprove any one or more amendments without having to approve or disapprove all of the amendments, shall be as follows:
CITY OF GRAND PRAIRIE
PROPOSITION A
Shall the Grand Prairie City Charter provision Article III Section 18(a) be amended to remove the thirty (30) year restriction on the term of any grant for franchises, leases, or other use of the streets, highways, public thoroughfares and property of the city, its avenues, parks, bridges and all other public places and property, and to continue allowing the City Council to determine the term of any franchise, lease or other use of city property?
FOR
AGAINST
If approved, Article III Section 18(a) would read as follows:
(a) The rights to control easement, use and ownership and title to the streets, highways, public thoroughfares and property of the city, its avenues, parks, bridges and all other public places and property are hereby declared to be inalienable except by ordinance duly passed by a majority of all members of the city council.
SECTION 6. All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict with the provisions of this ordinance are hereby repealed.
SECTION 7. It is hereby found and determined that the meetings at which this ordinance was passed were open to the public as required by Chapter 551, Texas Government Code, and that advance public notice of time, place and purpose of said meetings was given.
SECTION 8. Should any section, paragraph, sentences, clause, phrase or word of this ordinance be declared unconstitutional or invalid for any purpose by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remainder of this ordinance shall not be affected thereby, and to this end the provisions of this ordinance are declared to be severable.
SECTION 9. The manner of holding said election shall be governed by State Statutes of the State of Texas and the Charter and Ordinances of the City of Grand Prairie.
SECTION 10. That notice of the election shall be given in accordance with the provisions of the Texas Election Code, as amended.
PASSED AND APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GRAND PRAIRIE, TEXAS, ON THIS the 6th day of february 2018.