Section 1.1 - This organization shall be known as the Texas Municipal League.
Section 2.1 - The purpose of this organization is to advance and sustain the interests of the cities of Texas. To achieve this purpose, the organization shall:
Section 3.1 - Regular Members. Any city or town in the State of Texas may, by proper action of its governing body and the payment of the current membership dues from its own municipal funds, become an active member of the League.
Section 3.2 - Associate Members. Individuals and organizations may be granted associate membership by the Executive Director. Associate members may receive League publications and attend the League's Annual Conference. Classes of associate memberships are:
Section 3.3 - Dues. The annual dues, except the dues for each class of associate membership, shall be fixed upon the recommendation of the Board of Directors subject to approval of the member cities assembled at the Annual Conference. The annual dues shall be due and payable in advance on the anniversary of such payment in the first instance. Failure of a member to pay its dues for a year shall result in automatic suspension of membership.
Section 3.4 - Withdrawing From Membership. Any member may withdraw by written notice to the Executive Director.
Section 3.5 - Voting Privileges. Only member cities and towns shall be entitled to vote in all meetings of the League and such municipalities shall each be entitled to one vote on all matters.
Section 3.6 - Honorary Memberships. Any person who has rendered conspicuous service for the improvement of municipal government may, by vote of the Board of Directors, be granted an honorary membership in the League. All former presidents of the League shall be Honorary Members. Honorary Members as such shall not pay dues and shall not be entitled to vote in any of the meetings of the League.
Section 4.1 - Composition. The affairs of the League shall be conducted by a Board of Directors composed of the following:
Only city officials of member cities may serve as directors.
Section 4.2 - Staggered Terms. The terms of the directors shall be staggered so that the terms of approximately one-half of the members of the Board of Directors shall expire each year. The terms of the directors from the affiliates of Mayors and Councilmembers, Municipal Utilities, Finance Officers, Public Works Officers, City Planners, Police Chiefs, Fire Chiefs, Municipal Information Officers, Court Clerks, Black City Council Members, and all regional districts bearing odd-numbered designations shall expire in odd-numbered years. The terms of all other affiliate directors and of all regional districts bearing even-numbered designations shall expire in the even-numbered years.
Section 4.3 - Election of Directors. Directors shall be elected as follows:
Section 4.4 - Terms of Office and Attendance Requirements. The terms of office and meeting attendance requirements for members of the Board of Directors are as follows:
Section 4.5 - Additional Directors. In the event of the creation of additional regional districts or affiliates of the League, each such district or department shall elect a representative to the Board of Directors, provided that, when a new affiliate is created at any Annual Conference, the Board of Directors shall recognize a director to represent such affiliate until it elects a director in its regular manner. The Board of Directors shall fix the initial term of any such new director in such manner as to keep the number of terms expiring on alternate years as nearly equal as possible.
Section 4.6 - Vacancies. Vacancies on the Board of Directors created by a failure to hold a timely election as required under Section 4.3B shall be filled by holding such election as soon as practical. Other vacancies on the Board of Directors shall be filled as follows:
Section 4.7 - Compensation. The directors shall not receive any compensation as such for their services, but, by resolution of the Board, shall be entitled to reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties, provided funds have been budgeted for such expenses.
Section 4.8 - Executive Committee. The Executive Committee of the Board of Directors shall consist of the following: The President, the President-Elect, Past Presidents of the League, and two other Board members appointed by the President. The two presidential appointees shall both be municipal elected officials. One of the presidential appointees shall be from a city of less than 100,000 in population, and the other shall be from a city of 100,000 or greater in population. The terms of the presidential appointees shall expire when the term of the President who appointed them expires. The Executive Committee shall have authority to act for the Board of Directors at intervals between meetings of the Board, provided that: (a) the Board has authorized the Executive Committee to act, or (b) the Executive Committee's actions are required by an emergency. All actions taken by the Executive Committee shall be reviewed by the Board at its next meeting.
Section 4.9 - Quorum. A majority of the Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of all business.
Section 4.10 - Officers. Officers of the League and their manner of election are as follows:
Section 4.11 - Executive Director and League Employees. The Board of Directors shall select an Executive Director to manage the affairs of the League under its general direction. The Executive Director shall not be appointed for a definite term, but shall serve at the will and pleasure of the Board of Directors. The Executive Committee, during the first Board meeting of each calendar year, shall review the performance of the Executive Director and communicate the results of that performance review to the full Board of Directors and to the Executive Director. The Executive Director shall appoint the various employees of the League to the positions and at the compensation set forth in the approved budget, and shall be responsible for the proper and efficient conduct of the work of the League. The Executive Director shall cause accurate minutes to be kept of all meetings of the League and of the Board of Directors; shall conduct the correspondence of the League; shall mail notices of meetings to all members; shall publish the official publications of the League; and shall be paid a salary to be fixed by the Board of Directors.
Section 5.1 - Fiscal Year. The fiscal year of the League shall be from July 1 through June 30 of the following year.
Section 5.2 - Duties of Secretary-Treasurer. The Executive Director shall be the League's Secretary-Treasurer and shall be charged with the responsibility of keeping accurate records and accounts of all transactions of the League. The Director and all employees handling the finances of the League shall furnish a satisfactory surety bond in an amount to be fixed by the Board of Directors, the premium on said bonds being paid out of the funds of the League.
Section 5.3 - Budget. At some time during the months of May or June, the Board of Directors shall meet and adopt a budget which shall serve as the complete financial plan for the ensuing fiscal year. Not less than fifteen days prior to the budget meeting of the Board of Directors, the Executive Director shall cause to be prepared a detailed budget setting forth the estimated revenues and expenditures for the ensuing fiscal year and shall submit such budget to the Board of Directors for its consideration and approval. No unbudgeted indebtedness shall be incurred. No budget shall be adopted under which the expenditures for the ensuing year exceed a reasonable estimate of the actual funds to be available.
Section 5.4 - Audit. The accounts of the League shall be audited at least once annually by a certified public accountant to be selected by the Board of Directors.
Section 5.5 - Budget and Audit Committee. Each year, the President shall appoint a five member budget and audit committee to make recommendations to the Board of Directors concerning the budget and fiscal matters of the League. This Committee shall consist of four members of the Board of Directors, and the President-Elect shall serve as chair. The Committee shall make a report to the Board of Directors at the meeting in which the budget is adopted and thereafter as needed.
Section 6.1 - Boundaries. There shall be formed within the League a number of regions having such boundaries and carrying such distinctive and official titles and numerical designations as may be approved by the Board of Directors and recorded on an official map.
Section 6.2 - Purposes of the Regions. The purposes of each region of the League shall be as follows:
Section 6.3 - Meetings. The cities of each region shall meet not less often than twice each year in the period between Annual Conferences of the League.
Section 6.4 - Membership of the Regions. All cities within the boundaries of the region which are members in good standing of the League may become members of and participate in the activities of the region.
Section 6.5 - Voting. The representatives of each member city within a particular region shall cast collectively one vote, and a majority of the votes cast shall be necessary for a decision.
Section 6.6 - Officers of the Regions. Each region shall elect officers which shall be a regional President, Vice President, Secretary and other such officers as the region may establish, provided that such regional President and regional Vice President shall in every case be a mayor, councilmember, city commission member, alderman, or other member of an elected municipal governing body.
Such election shall be held at the meeting of said region held next preceding the Annual Conference of the League. The term of office of all newly elected officers shall be one year or two years, at the discretion of the region, and commence immediately upon election. In the event of a vacancy in any office in a region, such vacancy shall be filled by election at the next regular meeting of such region. The fact that such a vacancy will be so filled shall be included in the notice of such meeting.
Each region shall also elect a regional director to serve on the Board of Directors of the League. Such election shall be held every two years in accordance with Section 4.3. The term of the regional director shall be as specified in Section 4.3 and Section 4.4.
Section 6.7 - By-Laws. Each region may draft its own By-Laws consistent with the provisions of this constitution and subject to approval by the Board of Directors of the League.
Section 6.8 - Duties of the Regional Secretary. The secretary of each region shall immediately notify the League of any changes in the officers of the region, record the minutes of all meetings of the region, and send one copy thereof to the headquarters office of the League, and shall prepare and mail all notices of the meetings of the region and send one copy thereof to the headquarters office of the League.
Section 6.9 - League Policy Binding Upon Regions. The general policy of the League as adopted by the Board of Directors of the League shall be binding upon regions, and no action in conflict with such policies shall be taken by said regions, provided, however, that nothing in the foregoing shall be construed to limit or restrict the activities of the regions in matters of purely local interest and concern.
Section 7.1 - Affiliates Named. The affiliates of the League shall be the following:
Other organizations may be admitted to the League as affiliates by resolution at the Annual Conference, subject to the prior recommendation of the Board of Directors of the League, provided, however, that the League shall not have more than twenty-one affiliates at any time. When the League has twenty-one affiliates, a request by an additional organization to become an affiliate of the League can be approved only by combining the requesting group with an existing, similar affiliate. When the League has fewer than twenty-one affiliates, an additional organization may request affiliate status if the organization meets the requirements of Section 7.5.
Section 7.2 - Organization. Each affiliate shall administer its own affairs in a way that furthers the objectives of the affiliate or the League and may hold meetings of the affiliate at the time of the Annual Conference. Each affiliate must submit its separate Constitution when initially formed and all amendments thereto to the Board of Directors of the League and have them approved before they may become effective, except that the League�s Executive Director may approve amendments that do not conflict with provisions of this Constitution.
Section 7.3 - By-Laws. Each affiliate may draft and amend its own By-Laws consistent with the provisions of this Constitution and subject to approval by the Board of Directors of the League, except that the League�s Executive Director may approve amendments that do not conflict with provision of this Constitution.
Section 7.4 - League Policy Binding Upon Affiliates. The general policy of the League as adopted by the Board of Directors of the League shall be binding upon the affiliates, and no action in conflict with such policies shall be taken by any affiliate.
Section 7.5 - Adherence to Affiliated Organization Guidelines. In order to retain status as an affiliate and to be represented on the Board of Directors, each affiliate shall adhere to any affiliate guidelines, conditions, or other requirements which may be adopted by the Board of Directors, and must be in full compliance with such guidelines, conditions, or other requirements on any date established by the Board of Directors.
Section 8.1 - Time and Place. The time and place for the Annual Conference shall be determined by the Board of Directors of the League at least two (2) years in advance of the time set for the meeting.
Section 8.2 - Resolutions. Not later than thirty days prior to the Annual Conference, the President shall appoint a Resolutions Committee, which Committee shall consist of not less than fifty (50) city officials who will be in attendance at the Annual Conference, preferably officials who are familiar with the objectives and history of the League.
No resolution shall be eligible to be considered by the Resolutions Committee unless the same has been delivered to the Texas Municipal League headquarters office in Austin at least forty-five (45) full calendar days prior to the first day of the Annual Conference at which the Resolutions Committee will convene. Provided, however, that any proposed resolution that has not been submitted in accordance with this requirement may be considered by the Resolutions Committee if two-thirds (2/3) of the Committee members present and voting vote in favor of suspending such requirement. Resolutions submitted later than 45 days prior to the first day of the Annual Conference must state the reason precluding timely submission.
No resolution shall be considered or adopted unless it has some direct relation to municipal affairs. All resolutions to be adopted by the membership shall be adopted at the business meeting in the General Assembly at the Annual Conference. Resolutions pertaining to amendments to this Constitution, relative to membership dues or to new affiliates of the League shall, before their submission to the membership, receive prior approval only from the Board of Directors, as otherwise provided in this Constitution; all other resolutions not reserved herein for approval exclusively by the Board of Directors shall be first considered by the Resolutions Committee except as hereinafter provided. No resolution considered by the Resolutions Committee shall be eligible to be considered at the business meeting of the Annual Conference unless the same shall have been adopted by a majority vote of the Committee members present and voting at the meeting of the Resolutions Committee. A resolution relative to a matter within the jurisdiction of the Resolutions Committee which has not received prior approval of said committee may be offered from the floor and considered by the membership in the business session at the Annual Conference only by a two-thirds (2/3) vote in favor of suspension of the rule requiring prior approval by said Committee.
Section 9.1 - Appointment. The President shall appoint such committees as may be deemed necessary for the proper conduct of the work of the League.
Section 9.2 - Tenure. The President and the Executive Director shall be ex-officio members of all committees of the League.
Section 9.3 - Reports. The Chairman of each appointed committee of the League shall, upon the completion of his committee's work, make a report to the Board of Directors in such form as may be requested.
Section 10.1 -Rules of Order. Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, Robert's Rules of Order shall prevail at all meetings f the League, its Board of Directors, regions, and affiliates.
Section 11.1- The Constitution may be amended at any Annual Conference of the League by a two-thirds vote, provided the proposed amendment shall have first been prepared in writing and submitted to the Board of Directors on or before the first day of the Annual Conference. Such amendment shall go into effect immediately upon adoption or as otherwise stipulated. If, within sixty days after the adoption of any amendment, one-third or more of the member cities protest in writing to the Board of Directors against such amendment, it shall automatically be suspended until the next Annual Conference, when it may be taken up again for reconsideration and vote as in the first instance.
Section 12.1 - Effective Upon Adoption. This Constitution shall go into effect immediately upon its adoption.