§ 15. Conflict of interest.

(a)

No councilmember or the mayor shall hold any other public office, or hold any office or employment, the compensation for which is paid out of city funds. No member of the council shall be elected or appointed to, or eligible to serve in, any office or employment created by or the compensation of which was increased or fixed by the city council while he or she was a member thereof, until the expiration of at least one (1) year after he or she ceased to be a member of the city council. Neither shall the mayor nor any councilmember or any officer, official or employee of the city be financially interested, directly or indirectly, in any contract let by the city, or any work done by the city, nor in any matter where the rights or liabilities of the city are or may be involved; nor shall any member of the city council or any other, officer, official or employee of the city be financially interested directly or indirectly in any public work or contract let, supervised or controlled or which shall be paid for wholly or in part by the State of Texas or any municipal subdivision thereof; provided that mere employment by an entity having an interest in any such contract shall not be or constitute a direct or indirect financial interest in any such contract.

(b)

In the event any such officer, official or employee of the city shall become interested directly or indirectly in any contract or work, purchase or sale, made by the city then the said contract or work, purchase or sale, shall become null and void and shall be discontinued and new arrangements shall be entered into for such contract or work, purchase or sale and, in such event, any member of the city council, or any official, officer or employee becoming so interested, directly or indirectly as aforesaid, in any contract or work, purchase or sale, shall forfeit all rights or claims to the title or emoluments of any office which he may happen to hold and shall be removed therefrom by the mayor and city council. In the event the mayor and city council shall fail or refuse for any cause whatsoever to remove such officer, official or employee, he or she shall nevertheless be subject to removal upon the action of five citizens in the District Court of Uvalde County in such proceedings as are appropriate and proper, and such officer, official or employee shall in addition be guilty of a misdemeanor or felony charge as the case may be, as is or may be provided in the penal statutes of the State of Texas.