What is a City Charter?

Home Rule cities are required to write and adopt a Charter. The Charter, for all practical purposes, is a municipal Constitution that is written and adopted by the citizens of the Home Rule city via an election. The Charter defines, grants, and limits the powers, duties, and responsibilities of local government based on local preferences and desires. The citizens determine the necessary controls over their city government such as elections, referendums, initiatives, and recall. Essentially, the City Charter describes and defines local government based on local preferences and controls as opposed to general laws which have been written by the Texas legislature.

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1. What is Home Rule?
2. What is the Difference between Home Rule Cities and General Law Cities?
3. What is a City Charter?
4. What is the Charter Commission?
5. How would changing to Home Rule affect me?
6. Are there disadvantages to changing to Home Rule?
7. What are the Major Provisions of the City Charter for Garden Ridge?
8. What is Recall, Initiative, and Referendum?
9. When is Early Voting?
10. When is Election Day?