DUTIES AND PRIVILEGES OF MEMBERS.

Dallas City Code ch. 8, art. IV

in effect

Dallas City Code § 8-13 RIGHT TO FLOOR.

SEC. 8-13. RIGHT TO FLOOR. When recognized by the chair, a member shall confine remarks to the question under debate, avoid personalities, and refrain from impugning the motives of any other member’s argument or vote. No member shall address the chair or demand the floor while a vote is being taken. (Ord. Nos. 14180; 20488)

Dallas City Code § 8-14 FINANCIAL INTEREST.

SEC. 8-14. FINANCIAL INTEREST. (a) A member stopped from voting on a matter for reasons of financial interest shall: (1) refrain from discussing the matter at any time with any other member of the board or any other body that will consider the matter; (2) leave the room during debate and hearing; and (3) refrain from voting on the matter. (b) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), a member of the board of directors of a reinvestment zone established under the Tax Increment Financing Act, as amended, may: (1) own property within that reinvestment zone; and (2) participate in discussions and voting on matters before the board of directors that may directly or indirectly affect the member’s property within the reinvestment zone. (Ord. Nos. 14180; 18560; 20488; 21961)

Dallas City Code § 8-14.1 CONFIDENTIALITY.

SEC. 8-14.1. CONFIDENTIALITY. (a) The confidentiality of any file, record, or other data received by a board that pertains to a land purchase, security, personnel, or legal matter shall be strictly maintained by every member. (b) A member commits an offense if the member discloses to another person confidential information obtained in the course of board duties. (c) It is a defense to prosecution under Subsection (b) that the disclosure was made: (1) to another member of the same board or to city staff assigned to the board; or (2) as compelled testimony in a court proceeding. (d) An offense under this section is punishable by a fine not to exceed $500. (e) Any board member determined by the city council to have violated this section shall forfeit membership on the board. A board member required to forfeit board membership under this section is entitled to a public hearing in accordance with Section 17, Chapter XXIV of the city charter. (Ord. Nos. 19924; 20488)

Dallas City Code § 8-15 RIGHT OF APPEAL.

SEC. 8-15. RIGHT OF APPEAL. A member may appeal to the board from a ruling of the chair. If the appeal is seconded, the member making the appeal may briefly state reasons for the appeal and the chair may briefly explain the ruling, but there shall be no debate on the appeal and no other member shall participate in the discussion. The chair shall then put the question, “Shall the decision of the chair be sustained?” If a majority of the members present vote “Aye,” the ruling of the chair is sustained; otherwise it is overruled. (Ord. Nos. 14180; 20488)

Dallas City Code § 8-16 LIMITATION OF DEBATE.

SEC. 8-16. LIMITATION OF DEBATE. No member shall be allowed to speak more than once upon any one subject until every other member choosing to speak on the subject has spoken, and no member shall speak more than twice upon any one subject, nor for a longer time than five minutes, without a two-thirds affirmative vote of the board. (Ord. Nos. 14180; 20488)

Dallas City Code § 8-17 VOTING.

SEC. 8-17. VOTING. Every member present when a question is put shall vote either “yes” or “no,” unless the member is prevented from voting because of conflict of interests. A member who is absent from the meeting during a vote and returns to or arrives at the meeting before adjournment shall, upon returning or arriving, vote on the question for the record unless prevented from voting by a conflict of interests. A member recorded present during a meeting who does not vote and who is not prevented from voting by a conflict of interests shall be recorded as having voted in the affirmative, unless the member has obtained the consent of the chair to leave the meeting and is absent for the remainder of the meeting. (Ord. Nos. 14180; 14326; 20488)

Dallas City Code § 8-18 DEMAND FOR ROLL CALL.

SEC. 8-18. DEMAND FOR ROLL CALL. Upon demand from any member, made before the negative has been put, the roll shall be called for “Yeas” and “Nays” upon any question before the board. It shall not be in order for members to explain their votes during the roll call. (Ord. Nos. 14180; 20488)

Dallas City Code § 8-19 PERSONAL PRIVILEGE.

SEC. 8-19. PERSONAL PRIVILEGE. The right of a member to address the board on a question of personal privilege shall be limited to cases in which the member’s integrity, character, or motives are assailed, questioned, or impugned. (Ord. Nos. 14180; 20488)

Dallas City Code § 8-20 ATTENDANCE.

SEC. 8-20. ATTENDANCE. (a) No member shall be excused from attendance at a board meeting, unless for medical reasons certified to by a physician or unless excused by the board and the city council. More than three unexcused absences in succession shall result in a forfeiture. (b) A member of the board that meets weekly or semi-monthly, who is absent from more than 25 percent of the regular meetings in any six-month period, whether excused or not, shall result in a forfeiture. (c) A member of a board that meets monthly, who is absent from more than 25 percent of the regular meetings during any 12-month period, whether excused or not, shall result in a forfeiture. (d) An office that has been forfeited under the provisions of this section shall be filled for the remainder of the term by appointment of the city council. (e) For purposes of this section, the record of a member's absences will begin with the first regular meeting after the 15th day from the date the member received notice of appointment. (Ord. Nos. 14180; 15848; 20488; 30555)

Dallas City Code § 8-20.1 SPECIAL ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS.

SEC. 8-20.1. SPECIAL ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS. If a board or commission, as part of its decision-making process, schedules an inspection trip to the location of a matter that is to be considered by the board or commission at that day's meeting, a member will be counted absent unless: (1) the member attends both the inspection trip and the meeting; (2) the member represents that a personal inspection has been made of each location visited by the inspection trip and attends the meeting; or (3) the board or commission, by rule, provides otherwise. (Ord. Nos. 17948; 20488; 30555)

Dallas City Code § 8-21 EXCUSAL DURING MEETING.

SEC. 8-21. EXCUSAL DURING MEETING. (a) A member who leaves a board meeting after the board has been duly called to order and is absent for the remainder of the meeting, without first obtaining the consent of the chair, shall be charged with an unexcused absence for that meeting. The consent of the chair may be given only in an emergency beyond the control of the member that requires the member to leave the meeting. (b) If a member is absent from more than 50 percent of a regular meeting, the member will be deemed absent and the absence will count against the member, unless the board, by rule, provides otherwise. (Ord. Nos. 14180; 14326; 20488; 30555)

Source: City of Dallas, Dallas City Code and City Charter (American Legal Publishing, codelibrary.amlegal.com)URL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/dallas/latest/dallas_tx/0-0-0-137046Fetched: 10/26/2026