§ 19 — Contracts

Sec. 19. - Contracts.

No contract shall ever be made which binds the City to pay for personal services to be rendered for any stated period of time; but all contracts involving a personal service shall be restricted to the doing of some particular act or thing, and upon its completion no further liability shall exist on the part of the city. Nor shall the City of Houston or any one acting for it make any contract for supplies for the current use of any department of the municipality for a longer period than twelve months, unless the council approves a longer period of time not exceeding five years for a specific contract by motion, resolution or ordinance adopted by a vote of at least two-thirds of the Council Members present and voting. No contract shall be entered into until after an appropriation has been made therefor, nor in excess of the amount appropriated, and no contract shall be binding upon the city unless it has been signed by the mayor and countersigned by the controller, and the expense thereof charged to the proper appropriation, and whenever the contract charged to any appropriation equals the amount of said appropriation, no further contracts shall be countersigned by the controller. In every instance required by state law, contracts shall be submitted for competitive bidding prior to being entered into by the City. Procedures for such competitive bidding shall be prescribed by the council, but the procedures must be in accordance with state law. (Act of 1905; amended January 27, 1968, August 14, 1982)