Administrative Provisions.

Austin City Code tit. 2, ch. 2-1, art. 1, div. 1

in effect

Austin City Code § 2-1-1 APPLICABILITY; CONFLICTS.

§ 2-1-1 - APPLICABILITY; CONFLICTS. (A) This article applies to all boards described in Article 2 (Boards) and the board members. (B) The council may require a task force or a task force member to comply with this chapter. Otherwise, this chapter does not apply to a task force or task force member. (C) Federal law, state law, the City Charter, and other City Code provisions supersede this chapter to the extent of conflict. (D) A specific provision in Article 2 (Boards) controls over a general provision in Article 1 (General Provisions). Source: Ord. 20071129-011.

Austin City Code § 2-1-2 DEFINITIONS.

§ 2-1-2 - DEFINITIONS. (A) BOARD means a permanent advisory or decision-making body described in Article 2 (Boards) and includes a commission, committee, council, or agency. (B) BOARD MEMBER includes an alternate member but does not include an ex-officio member. (C) COMMITTEE means a body of board members established by an affirmative vote of the board, consisting of at least three board members, to which the board has delegated a defined matter, or matters. (D) JOINT COMMITTEE means a body established by council and comprised of members of two or more boards approved by an affirmative vote of each board, to which council has delegated a defined matter, or matters. (E) TASK FORCE means a non-codified temporary advisory body established by resolution or ordinance for a specific purpose that expires upon the completion of its assigned task or according to a specified deadline. (F) WORKING GROUP means a body of board members established by a vote of the board, consisting of less than a quorum of the board, to which the board delegates a defined matter, or matters, for consideration and recommendation to the board. A working group is automatically dissolved after it reports its recommendations on the defined matter or matters to the board. A board may appoint a non-member or nonmembers to serve on a working group but may not form a joint working group with another board or commission without prior Council approval. Source: Ord. 20071129-011; Ord. 20101209-003; Ord. No. 20250227-004, Pt. 1, 3-10-25.

Austin City Code § 2-1-3 BOARDS ESTABLISHED.

§ 2-1-3 - BOARDS ESTABLISHED. (A) Each board described in Article 2 (Boards) is established or continued in existence by the city council as an advisory or decision-making body to perform specified duties. (B) A board established by the city council that is to be in existence for more than three years should be included in this chapter, unless other law conflicts with provisions of this chapter. (C) The city clerk shall maintain a list of all boards, task forces, and other bodies established by council that are not included in this chapter and to which the council or mayor appoints one or more members. (D) To the extent not otherwise required by Texas Government Code, Chapter 551 or other state or federal law or rule, all temporary and permanent boards, commissions, and task forces not included in this chapter and that are established solely by council shall comply with Chapter 551 (Open Meetings Act). This subsection does not apply to working groups. Source: Ord. 20071129-011; Ord. 20080618-030; Ord. 20101209-003.

Austin City Code § 2-1-4 SIZE AND APPOINTMENT.

§ 2-1-4 - SIZE AND APPOINTMENT. (A) Except as otherwise provided in Article 2 (Boards), a board consists of 11 members appointed by the city council. (B) For a board with 11 or more members, each council member shall nominate one board member to serve on the board, and the mayor shall nominate the other board members. (C) For a board with fewer than 11 members, the mayor shall nominate the board members. (D) All appointments of board members are subject to approval by a majority vote of council. Source: Ord. 20071129-011; Ord. No. 20140807-016, Pt. 2, 7-1-15.

Austin City Code § 2-1-5 COMPOSITION AND MEMBERSHIP QUALIFICATIONS.

§ 2-1-5 - COMPOSITION AND MEMBERSHIP QUALIFICATIONS. Except as otherwise required by federal or state law, the City Charter, or this chapter, the board composition and membership qualifications contained in this chapter are directory and not mandatory. An ordinance is required to change or waive provisions of this chapter, except as provided by Section 2-1-27. Source: Ord. 20071129-011; Ord. No. 20250227-004, Pt. 2, 3-10-25.

Austin City Code § 2-1-6 QUORUM AND ACTION.

§ 2-1-6 - QUORUM AND ACTION. (A) A majority of the total number of authorized board members constitutes a quorum for the conduct of business. For an 11 member board, six board members constitute a quorum. (B) Except as provided by subsection (C), a board action must be adopted by an affirmative vote of the number of members necessary to provide a quorum. For an 11 member board, a board action must be adopted by an affirmative vote of six board members. (C) If a board has 14 or more voting members, and if a quorum is present, board action may be taken by the lesser of: (1) an affirmative vote of the number of members necessary to provide a quorum; or (2) an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members present at a meeting. (D) Subsection (C) does not apply to a board that has more than 14 members solely because the board has alternate members or more than one panel. (E) An ex officio member of a board that is subject to the requirements of this chapter may participate at board meetings, but may not vote, bring a motion, or serve as an officer in a designated position of a board except the position of parliamentarian, and does not count towards calculation of a quorum or any other minimum vote count required by city code or state law. Source: Ord. 20071129-011; Ord. 20080618-030; Ord. 20111215-053; Ord. No. 20141211-204, Pt. 1, 7-1-15; Ord. No. 20160303-034, Pt. 1, 3-14-16; Ord. No. 20211104-062, Pt. 2, 2-28-22; Ord. No. 20250227-004, Pt. 3, 3-10-25.

Austin City Code § 2-1-7 STAFF SUPPORT.

§ 2-1-7 - STAFF SUPPORT. (A) The city manager shall designate a City department to provide sufficient staff support for each board and each committee of a board and each joint committee to allow each committee and board to be able to conduct hybrid meetings and to comply with Government Code Chapter 551 (Open Meetings Act); support will also include an executive to serve as executive board liaison and a staff member to serve as board liaison between the department and the board. (B) The city clerk serves as liaison between boards, citizens, council, and department liaisons. (C) The city clerk shall prepare a policy document that details the requirements and procedures for setting and holding in-person or hybrid meetings. Source: Ord. 20071129-011; Ord. 20101209-003; Ord. No. 20211104-062, Pt. 3, 2-28-22.

Austin City Code § 2-1-8 COUNCIL AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE.

§ 2-1-8 - COUNCIL AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE. The council audit and finance committee shall: (1) make recommendations to the council on the continued need for and role of each board; (2) review and recommend that the full council approve or disapprove a board's requested amendment to the City's standard board bylaws; (3) receive notice of a board's failure to convene for a period of six months and make a recommendation to council on the continued existence or dissolution of the board; (4) make recommendations to council on other issues related to City-related boards; and (5) direct the city auditor to consider risks related to boards when developing the annual audit plan required by Section 2-3-7. Source: Ord. 20071129-011; Ord. 20101209-003; Ord. No. 20150129-026, Pt. 6, 2-9-15; Ord. No. 20240215-034, Pt. 1, 2-26-24.

Source: City of Austin, City Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tx/austin/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT2AD_CH2-1CIBO_ART1GEPR_DIV1ADPRFetched: 10/27/2026