There is no statewide cap on Texas mayor term limits. Each city sets its own rule, which means a mayor in one Texas city might be limited to three two-year terms while a mayor in the next city over faces a ten-year lifetime cap or no limit at all. What applies to your mayor depends on your city’s charter or local ordinances.
Why There Is No Single Answer
Texas divides its cities into two categories, and that split controls who writes the term-limit rule.
A city with more than 5,000 residents can adopt a home-rule charter, which works as the city’s local constitution. The charter spells out how the mayor is elected, how long the term runs, and whether there is a cap on how many terms one person can serve.1Texas Secretary of State. Terms, Qualifications, and Vacancies Because voters approved the charter, changing a term-limit provision takes a charter amendment election. The council can put an amendment on the ballot, but it cannot rewrite the charter by ordinance.2State of Texas. Local Government Code Chapter 9 – Home-Rule Municipality Most of the Texas cities people are thinking about when they search this question are home-rule cities.
Smaller cities that have not adopted a home-rule charter are general-law cities. They operate under statutes passed by the legislature, including Chapter 22 and Chapter 51 of the Local Government Code.3State of Texas. Local Government Code Chapter 51 – General Powers of Municipalities State law neither imposes term limits on these cities nor forbids them. A general-law city council can adopt term limits by ordinance.
The Two Common Structures
Across Texas, home-rule charters tend to use one of two models when they do impose a cap.
The first is a consecutive-term limit. The mayor can serve a set number of terms in a row, and after sitting out for one or more election cycles, the person becomes eligible to run again. Houston uses this structure: two-year terms, with a limit of three consecutive terms.4Houston Chronicle. Electing Houston’s Mayor for Two (Or Six?) Years A popular mayor who is termed out can come back later.
The second is a lifetime cap, measured in total years rather than consecutive terms. El Paso takes this approach: four-year mayoral terms, with a lifetime cap of ten years in office.5City of El Paso. El Paso City Charter – Articles I and II Once the clock runs out, that person is permanently ineligible, with no option of returning after a break.
Other cities fall somewhere in between, and some have no limit at all. Charter provisions can change in any election cycle, so a summary that is a few years old may be out of date.
The Default Term Length
Article XI, Section 11 of the Texas Constitution sets two years as the baseline term for municipal officers, including mayors. A city can adopt longer terms of up to four years. A home-rule city does this through its charter or a charter amendment; a general-law city needs a majority vote of qualified voters at a dedicated election.6State of Texas. Texas Constitution Article XI – Section 11 Any city that extends terms past two years must elect its governing body by majority vote rather than plurality, which means runoff elections become part of the picture.
For Type A general-law municipalities, state statute confirms the two-year term directly.7State of Texas. Local Government Code Chapter 22 – Aldermanic Form of Government in Type A General-Law Municipality Many smaller cities have never held an election to change it, so the two-year default still governs them. Larger home-rule cities almost always address term length in their charters, and many have moved to longer terms.
How to Find Your City’s Term Limit
Because there is no single statute to check, you have to go to local sources.
- Call or email the city secretary’s office. That office keeps the charter, ordinances, and official records, and will usually give you a direct answer.8City of Texas City, TX. City Secretary
- Search the city’s website. Most Texas cities post their charter and municipal code online. In a home-rule charter, look for sections on “mayor,” “term of office,” or “elections.” In a general-law city, look through the municipal code for the same terms.
- Use the Texas Secretary of State’s reference material. The agency publishes a table summarizing term lengths and vacancy procedures by city type, which can help you identify what category your city falls into before you dig into local documents.1Texas Secretary of State. Terms, Qualifications, and Vacancies
If you are planning a campaign or deciding whether a sitting mayor can run again, confirm the current charter language with the city secretary before you rely on anything older than the last charter amendment election.