STRATEGIC PRIORITY: Government Performance and Financial Management
AGENDA DATE: January 8, 2020
COUNCIL DISTRICT(S): N/A
DEPARTMENT: City Secretary’s Office
EXECUTIVE: Bilierae Johnson
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SUBJECT
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A resolution designating absences by Mayor Pro Tem Adam Medrano and Councilmember Cara Mendelsohn as being for "Official City Business" - Financing: No cost consideration to the City
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BACKGROUND
Chapter III, Section 4(e) of the Dallas City Charter provides in part, "If any city council member, including the mayor, misses more than 10 percent of the total number of regular meetings held by the city council during any compensation year, then the city council member's compensation...for that year will be reduced proportionately by the percentage of meetings missed.. Meetings missed by a city council member while he or she is on the official business of the city council and at the direction of the city council will not be counted towards the percentage of missed meetings for which compensation reduction is required... but will be counted as though the member had attended the meetings that are missed while so engaged in city business."
Section 4.11(b) of the City Council Rules of Procedure provides that an absence by a council member for (1) attending a meeting or conference of a professional organization of or association of municipalities or municipal officers, (2) testifying at a legislative hearing at the request of the mayor, the city council, the chair of the council's legislative affairs committee or the city manager, or (3) attending a meeting of a board, commission, or committee to which the council member has been appointed by the mayor or the city council, will automatically be deemed to be for "official city business at the direction of the city council" and will not be counted against a city council member for purposes of determining the council member's annual compensation.
Section 4.11(c) of the City Council Rules of Procedure provides that, in addition to those absences automatically considered to be on "official city business at the direction of the city council" under Section 4.11(b) above, the city council may by resolution designate whenever a council member's absence is for official city business and not counted as a missed meeting for purposes of determining the council member's annual compensation under Chapter III, Section 4 of the Dallas City Charter.
The proposed resolution authorizes and directs the city secretary to amend the minutes of city council meetings, without further city council action or approval, to reflect when the absences by designated council members have been deemed by the city council to be for "official city business."
PRIOR ACTION/REVIEW (COUNCIL, BOARDS, COMMISSIONS)
This item has no prior action.
FISCAL INFORMATION
No cost consideration to the City.