The Denton City Council is the seven-member elected body that sets policy, adopts the annual budget, and passes local laws for the City of Denton, Texas. Denton uses a council-manager form of government, so the council handles the big decisions while a professional city manager runs daily operations.1City of Denton. City Officials
How the Council Is Structured
The council has a mayor and six council members. Four of those six seats represent single-member geographic districts. The other two are at-large places elected by voters citywide.1City of Denton. City Officials
The at-large seats come with a residency twist. Place 5 must be filled by someone living in District 1 or District 2, and Place 6 must be filled by someone living in District 3 or District 4.2City of Denton. City of Denton Charter Amendments The whole city votes on those seats, but the candidates have to come from specific parts of town.
All seven members serve two-year terms. No one may hold the same seat for more than three consecutive full terms, though a former member can run again after a cycle off or seek a different seat.
Who Serves on the Council
As of 2025, the members are:3City of Denton. City Council
- Gerard Hudspeth, Mayor
- Jordan E. Villarreal, District 1
- Nick Stevens, District 2
- Suzi Rumohr, Mayor Pro Tem, District 3
- Joe Holland, District 4
- Brandon Chase McGee, At-Large Place 5
- Jill Jester, At-Large Place 6
What the Council Decides
The council’s most concrete power is financial. Every year it adopts the city’s operating budget and sets the property tax rate. For fiscal year 2025–26, the approved total tax rate is $0.595420 per $100 of assessed value, split between general operations and debt service.4City of Denton. Fiscal Year 2025 to 2026 Budget Those dollars pay for police, fire, parks, street repairs, and the rest of city services.
Council votes also produce the ordinances and resolutions that have the force of law inside city limits. Zoning changes, public health rules, building codes, and traffic regulations all run through the council.
Four positions report directly to the council rather than to the city manager: the City Manager, the City Attorney, the City Auditor, and the Municipal Court Judge. That structure keeps the city’s most consequential hires answerable to elected officials.
Meetings, Agendas, and Where to Find Them
Regular council meetings are held on Tuesdays in the Council Chamber at City Hall, with the regular session starting at 6:30 p.m.5City of Denton. Public Meetings and Agendas A work session typically runs beforehand so members can discuss items in more depth before voting.
Under the Texas Open Meetings Act, the city has to post written notice of each meeting at least 72 hours in advance, and that notice must be specific enough that residents can tell whether they care about any given agenda item. If the notice fails to clearly describe a subject, any action the council takes on that subject can be voided.6Office of the Attorney General of Texas. Open Meetings Act Handbook – Section: VII. Notice Requirements Agendas appear on the city’s public meetings webpage and on a physical bulletin board at City Hall.
How to Address the Council
Denton accepts public comment three ways, each with its own sign-up:7City of Denton. City Council Registration Guidelines for Addressing the City Council
- In person: pick up a speaker card at the meeting location and submit it to the City Secretary before your item is called.
- By phone: register through the city’s public meetings page by noon on the day of the meeting.
- eComment: once an agenda is posted, a link to submit written comments appears next to the meeting listing on the city’s calendar.
Speakers get four minutes at the microphone, whether addressing a specific agenda item, speaking at a public hearing, or using the open microphone portion of a regular meeting.7City of Denton. City Council Registration Guidelines for Addressing the City Council You can comment only once per agenda item and cannot use more than one method on the same item. Open microphone comments are limited to regular meetings and cannot cover items already on that night’s agenda.
Running for a Council Seat
Candidates have to meet eligibility rules from both state law and the city charter. Under the Texas Election Code, a candidate must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 by the first day of the term, registered to vote, and free of any unresolved felony conviction.8State of Texas. Texas Election Code ELEC 141.001
The Denton City Charter, Article II, Section 2.02, layers stricter residency on top. Every candidate must have lived inside Denton city limits for at least one continuous year before the election. Anyone running for a district seat, or for an at-large place tied to a specific district, must also have lived in that district for at least one year.2City of Denton. City of Denton Charter Amendments A sitting member who pleads guilty to or is convicted of a felony forfeits the seat immediately.
Filing period documents, a calendar of key dates, and any applicable filing fees are posted on the city’s elections page for each cycle.9City of Denton. Elections
Recalling a Council Member
Voters can force a recall election, but the signature bar is high. A recall petition needs valid signatures from at least 25 percent of the total votes cast in that council member’s most recent election.10eCode360. City of Denton Charter – Article VI: Recall, Initiative, and Referendum Every signer has to be a registered Denton voter and must sign in ink or indelible pencil.
Signatures also expire. Any signature collected more than 90 days before the petition is filed does not count, and all pages have to be submitted to the City Secretary on the same day. Once filed, the City Secretary notifies the targeted member in writing.10eCode360. City of Denton Charter – Article VI: Recall, Initiative, and Referendum No recall petition may be filed within three months of a member taking office or within three months of a previous recall attempt against the same seat.