Responsibilities of the city attorney.
Houston Code of Ordinances § 10-323
in effectSec. 10-323. - Responsibilities of the city attorney.
(a) The city attorney and attorneys acting at the direction of the city attorney shall:
(1) Provide legal advice and assistance as requested by the building official or by the neighborhood protection official related to the discharge of their respective duties under this article, which assistance may include the presentation of evidence, the examination of witnesses, and written and oral advocacy;
(2) Provide legal advice and assistance as requested by the hearing officer or by a member of the commission related to the discharge of their respective duties under this article; and
(3) Take all legal action reasonable and necessary to carry out the terms and provisions of this article, which action may include, but is not limited to, prosecution in the municipal courts of criminal citations issued for violations of this article and prosecution of civil lawsuits as authorized by this Code, by statute, or by common law.
(b) In the event the city attorney is requested by the building official or the neighborhood protection official and the hearing officer or a member of the commission to provide legal advice or assistance related to the same proceeding or to the same property, the city attorney shall take all actions reasonably necessary to protect the fairness of the proceeding, especially with regard to the rights of alleged violator(s).
(Ord. No. 2011-108, § 4, 2-9-2011)
Source: City of Houston, Code of Ordinances and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tx/houston/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH10BUNEPR_ARTIXBUST_DIV1GE_S10-323REATFetched: 10/26/2026