San Marcos City Charter

The City of San Marcos Charter and Code of Ordinances are now on-line on the World Wide Web! You can read the City Charter (the constitution for San Marcos city government) adopted by City voters in 1967 and amended periodically through popular elections. The entire City Code book, with all the ordinances adopted by the City Council, is also on-line at the same location. You can browse through the table of contents or do a query or word search. Click here to go to the San Marcos Municipal Code.

Background about the Charter Founded in 1851, San Marcos was incorporated as a General Law city in Texas in 1877. In 1967, San Marcos became a Home Rule city operating under a voter-approved City Charter. The Charter describes the form of government and city boundaries, powers of the City, the composition, election and powers of the City Council, and the duties of the City Council appointees, including the City Manager, City Attorney, City Clerk and Municipal Judge. Other chapters describe initiative, referendum and recall provisions, planning and zoning, financial, borrowing, budgeting and tax procedures, and the regulation of franchises and public utilities. General provisions include access to public records, ethics of public officers, lawsuits, and the charter revision process. The City Council appoints a Charter Review Commission every two years to serve a six month term. The commission reviews the Charter and recommends amendments to the City Council. The City Council determines what issues will be sent to the voters at the regular City election on the first Saturday of May in even-numbered years. The Charter was last amended on May 6, 2000.

Charter Highlights: Council-Manager Form of Government Voters approved compensation for the Mayor and Council Members in May 2000. Mayor is elected at large and serves 2-year term Six Council Members are elected at-large and serve staggered three-year terms City Manager, City Attorney, City Secretary and Municipal Judge are appointed by the City Council Voters have the power of initiative, referendum and recall of elected officials Charter establishes a Planning and Zoning Commission, Ethics Commission and Charter Review Commission

The Articles in the San Marcos City Charter include:

I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X. XI. XII.

Form of Government and Boundaries Powers of the City The City Council Administrative Services Nominations and Elections Initiative, Referendum and Recall Municipal Planning and Zoning Financial Procedure Borrowing for Capital Improvements Tax Administration Franchise and Public Utilities General Provisions

The San Marcos City Charter is available for review at:     City Hall     630 E. Hopkins     San Marcos, Texas 78666     San Marcos Public Library     625 E. Hopkins     San Marcos, Texas 78666.