HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinance 12654ORDINANCE NO. ,.5
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 2, "ADMINISTRATION", OF THE
CODE OF THE CITY OF FORT WORTH ( 1986) , AS AMENDED, BY
ADDING A NEW SECTION 2-12, "REIMBURSEMENT OF NECESSARY
EXPENSES INCURRED BY MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL IN
PERFORMANCE OF THEIR OFFICIAL DUTIES"; PROVIDING A
SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE
WHEREAS, Chapter III, Section 3 of the City Charter provides
that all necessary expenses incurred by members of the City Council
in the performance of their official duties shall be paid by the
City; and
WHEREAS, the City Council desires to establish procedures to
be followed in reimbursing members of the City Council for such
expenses;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS:
SECTION 1.
That Chapter 2, "Administration", of the Code of the City of
Fort Worth (1986), as amended, is hereby amended by adding the
following new Section:
Sec. 2-12 Reimbursement of Necessary Expenses Incurred by
Members of the City Council in Performance of Their Official
Duties.
(a) Purpose.
The City Charter provides that the City shall pay all
necessary expenses incurred by members of the City Council in
the performance of their official duties. This Section
establishes procedures to be followed in reimbursing members
of the City Council for such expenses.
(b) Exceptions.
This Section does not apply to reimbursement of members of the
City Council for expenses of business related travel out of
town and attendance at out of town meetings. Payment of these
expenses shall continue to be processed under Administrative
Regulations, Section C, Number 10.
(c) Definitions.
"Necessary expenses" means expenses that are reasonable and
necessary for a member of the City Council to incur in the
performance of his or her official duties. Such expenses may
include, but are not limited to, expenditures for personal
automobile usage, telephone calls and postage.
"Necessary expenses" do not include expenditures for:
(i) political advertising or political purposes;
(ii) personal entertainment;
(iii) compensation of additional Council Assistants or
personnel to assist a Councilmember; or
(iv) personal expenditures that are not related to a
Councilmember's official duties.
"Political advertising" means a communication supporting or
opposing a candidate for nomination or election to a public
office or office of a political party, a political party, a
public office or a measure that:
(i) in return for consideration, is published in a
newspaper, magazine, or periodical or is broadcast by
radio or television; or
(ii) appears in a letter, pamphlzt, circular, flier,
billboard or other sign, bumper sticker, or similar form
of written communication.
(d) Procedures.
(1) The annual budget shall include a specified amount which
shall be available to reimburse each member of the City
Council for necessary expenses that he or she incurs during
the fiscal year. Except for expenses for business related
travel out of town and attendance at out of town meetings, the
budgeted amount shall be the maximum reimbursement for
expenses that a Councilmember may receive during the fiscal
year.
(2) To apply for reimbursement, a member of the City Council
shall submit to the City Secretary a Monthly Expense
Reimbursement Form ("Reimbursement Form"). The City Secretary
shall prepare a form for this purpose. Copies of original
itemized receipts shall be attached to the Reimbursement Form
to document all expenditures. In the case of a lost or
forgotten receipt, a member of the City Council may submit a
memorandum providing details and certifying that the expense
was incurred.
(3) The City Secretary shall review the Reimbursement Form to
determine that it is complete, that the expenses listed were
incurred in the performance of official duties, and that the
expenses were reasonable and necessary. After the City
Secretary approves the Reimbursement Form, the City Secretary
shall forward it to the Accounts Payable Section of the
Department of Fiscal Services.
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(4) The Accounts Payable Section shall determine that
budgeted funds are available to pay the amount shown on the
approved Reimbursement Form and, if so, shall issue a check to
the Councilmember.
SECTION 2.
This ordinance shall be cumulative of all provisions of
ordinances and of the Code of the City of Fort Worth, Texas (1986) ,
as amended, except where the provisions of this ordinance are in
direct conflict with the provisions of such ordinances and such
Code, in which event conflicting provisions of such ordinances and
such Code are hereby repealed.
SECTION 3.
It is hereby declared to be the intention of the City Council
that the phrases, clauses, sentences, paragraphs and sections of
this ordinance are severable, and, if any phrase, clause, sentence,
paragraph or section of this ordinance shall be declared
unconstitutional by the valid judgment or decree of any court of
competent jurisdiction, such unconstitutionality shall not affect
any of the remaining phrases, clauses, sentences, paragraphs and
sections of this ordinance, since the same would have been enacted
by the City Council without the incorporation in this ordinance of
any such unconstitutional phrase, clause, sentence, paragraph or
section.
SECTION 4.
This ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and
after its passage, and it is so ordained.
APPROVED AS TO FORM N LEGALITY:
City Attorney
Date: ~' 3
ADOPTED: ~'J I,~/~J
EFFECTIVE : ~ ~~~~D
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