21st, 2025 City Council Ethics and Governance Committee.

My name is Joaquin Martinez, and I'm the chair of the committee.

It's now 1005, and I'm pleased to call this meeting to order.

I'd like to start by recognizing my colleagues joining us today, beginning with Vice Chair, uh Carter, Councilmember Mario Castillo, Councilmember Sally Alcorn, Councilmember Julian Ramírez.

We have staff from Councilmember Letitia Plummer's office, Councilmember Amy Peck's office, Council Mayor Prote, Vice Mayor Pro Tem.

Amy Pegg's office, Mayor Pearl Tem, Martha Cassis State of the Office, Councilmember Tiffany Thomas's office, and Councilmember Abby Kamen.

I want to remember a small uh opportunity for our vice chair if she had any words, comments before we get started.

Councilmember Carter.

Thank you, Chair.

Sorry, I was reading.

Uh no, I'm really looking forward to the presentation today and uh glad to to get this meeting on the books, and thank you for all you do.

Thank you.

Uh I want to remind council members uh to please hold your questions until after uh the end of each presentation.

When you're recognized, please be sure to speak clearly into the microphone.

And I will let you uh know when your three minutes for questions has ended.

I want to switch over to today's uh meeting agenda today.

The the committee will be will receive an overview of new changes to the council rules of procedures, uh, an overview of chapter 18 and the city's obligation as a filing authority in various election matter election related matters from senior assistant city secret city attorney Daniel Folsom.

Um so I want to turn it over to Ms.

Folsom to come and talk about some of the new rules.

Um if you can please introduce yourself for the record as well as any other uh members of your team that is joining us today, good morning, council members.

I'm here today joined by uh general counsel section chief Rashad Gambrell as well.

Thank you for having us today.

Um as uh was discussed, we're going to be doing a presentation where I'll be discussing the new changes to section 2-2 of the city's code of ordinances, which contains the council rules of procedure.

And then in anticipation, I understand of further discussion about these topics.

I'm going to do brief summaries about the city's role as a filing authority in regards to campaign finance reports, personal financial statements, uh, as well as candidate applications.

Next slide.

So as everyone is aware, uh earlier, uh a few months ago, uh ordinance number 2025-604 was passed, adding some new language to the council rules of procedure.

Uh specifically, it's amending first rule one uh specifying that uh a final Tuesday session of each month shall take place at 5 30 p.m.

Uh so the public there will be an evening public session uh the final Tuesday of the month.

Next slide.

The ordinance also amends to reflect the change in rule one, rule eight, which again provides that the last Tuesday session of comment by members of the public uh shall be scheduled for 6 p.m.

Next slide.

So this ordinance is in place, but it does expire on December 31st, 2025, unless reenacted, extended, or otherwise modified by ordinance adopted by city council prior to that date.

So with that in mind, we have the following evening session dates that have been uh confirmed between now and the end of the year.

And all those meetings will will start at 5 30 p.m.

Um and then finally um you uh as you may remember with the council meeting schedule ordinance that was passed at the beginning of this year and amended, we do have consolidated sessions and break weeks at the end of September, November, and December as well.

Um and those will continue as provided in ordinance.

Next slide.

So that was just sort of a brief overview of you know what the dates are going to be, what that changes.

The rest of my presentation again is a brief summary of the city's role as a filing authority.

Next slide.

Starting with campaign finance reports.

So as you know, campaign finance reporting is governed by state law under Title 15 of the Texas Election Code.

And through that statute, the Texas Ethics Commission is the enforcement body for violations.

The City of Houston's role, specifically the City of Houston City Secretary's Office is the term that they use in the guidance from the Ethics Commission, and in the statute is the local filing authority.

So many state officials file with the ethics, the state ethics commission as their filing authority, but local officials file with the filing authority related to their specific jurisdiction.

And for City of Houston elected officials, that is what the city secretary's office.

And we have a electronic filing system, which was approved by the ethics commission to use sometime around 2007 and has been used since that time.

So in our role as the local filing authority, the ethics commission provides various guidance to us, including a guide which advises the following regarding enforcement in our role.

As a local filing authority, the city has no authority to penalize filers.

However, individuals may file criminal complaints with an appropriate county or district attorney or a sworn complaint with the ethics commission alleging a violation of Title 15.

So as a local filing authority, we exist as a repository for the reports that are required to be filed and that are then posted online for members of the public to view.

Something that's much more similar to what the state uses, and will likely better assist in identifying and tracking the status of various filers because with the current system any kind of tracking like that is is essentially sort of manual work.

Next slide.

So then we have personal financial statements.

Pursuant to chapter 145 of the local government code, officeholders, members of city council, the mayor, and the city attorney must file a state form again with the city secretary's office.

And then separately, the city has its own ordinance, section 18-21 of the city code that creates a report very similar to the state form, uh but uh tweaked in some ways that requires certain covered officials to file as well.

And so that's all elected officials of the city as well as executive certain executive level employees at the city.

So the city secretary's office receives those forms and they are filed physical copies.

There's not an electronic filing system for this document currently, but they work with the legal department who also works with HR to identify the individuals required to file and to notify them and follow up with them if statements aren't received.