Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Petition For Writ of Mandamus
Petition For Writ of Mandamus
Leland C. de laGarza
State Bar No. 05646600
Andrew L. Siegel
State Bar No. 18341825
Timothy D. Zeiger
State Bar No. 22255950
Derek D. Rollins
State Bar No. 24029803
Relators certify that the following is a complete list of the parties, the
attorneys and any other person who has any interest in the outcome of this
proceeding:
PARTIES COUNSEL
Relators:
Marcus Wood Leland C. de laGarza
Kirkwood Temple Andrew L. Siegel
African-American Pastors Coalition Timothy D. Zeiger
Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance Derek D. Rollins
Of Greater Dallas SHacTSMoRDMELTON& MCKINLEY
Mt. Tabor Baptist Church 3333Lee Parkway, Tenth Floor
Lifeway Church Dallas, Texas 75219
Telephone : (21,! 7804404
Facsimile: (214)780-1401,
Respondents, in their respectioe
fficial capacities: Thomas P. Perkins, Jr.
City Secretary,City of DaIIas,Texas City Attorney
Deborah Watkins City of Dallas
DallasCity CouncilMembers: 1500Marilla Street
Tom Leppert Suite 7-CN
Delia Jasso Dallas, Texas 75201,
Pauline Medrano
David A. Neumann
Dwaine R. Caraway
Vonciel JonesHill
Steve Salazar
Carolyn R. Davis
Tennell Atkins
Sheffie Kadane
Jerry R. Allen
Linda Koop
Ron Natinsky
Ann Margolin
Angela Hunt
STATEMENT REGARDING ORAL ARGUMENT
and alcoholic beverage laws to an unlawful election called by the City of Dallas
for the purpose of legalizing the sale of beer and wine for off-premise
consumption in the City of Dallas. Oral argument will be beneficial given the
Secretary and the City Council to properly verify and certify the petition and
order a lawful local option electioru the constitutional and statutory right of
historically dry political subdivisions located within the City of Dallas to vote
independently of other parts of the City of Dallas on whether to legalize the sale
of alcoholic beverages, and the Texas constitutional and statutory paradigm for
resolving conflicts between wet and dry political subdivisions under local option
election laws.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ISSUESPRESENTED............ ....................4
L MandamusStandards............... ---.....-17
u1
C. The City Secretary and City Council failed to perform
their respective duties to delineate the boundaries of
historic dry political subdivisions that will be affected
by * election to legalize the off-premise sale of beer
and wine in Dallas and consequently they improperly
certified and ordered, respectively, an unlawful and
futile election... ..........28
lv
INDEX OF AUTHORITIES
Cases
BIuma. Lanier,
9975.W.2d259(Tex.1999)..
.. .... .... .-..---..-.....9,10
Ellis o. Vanderslice,
4865.W.2d155 (Iex. Civ. App. -- Dallas 1972,no writ) ---..21
(Tex.D3n
Houchinso.Plainos,110S.W.2d549 18,24,29,30,31'
Hownrdu. Clack,
589S.W.2d74B(Tex.Civ. App.-- Dallas1979,no writ) .......--.----.......-26
In re Daais,
2695.W.3d581 (Tex.2008)........
. .. 26,27,29,30,31
.......18,
In re Porter,
126S.W.3d708(Tex.App.-- Dallas 2004,orig. proceeding) --.....-...--.26
In re Triantaphyllis,
68 S.W.3d861 (Tex.App. -- Houston [14th Dist.] 2002,orig. proceeding)...20,2'l'
McGraw o. Newby,
496S.W.2d 250(Iex. Civ. App. -- Beaumontl973,no writ) -....-...-.-.--24
Walkerzt.Packer,
.. .. .. ..
827S.w.zd 833(Tex.1992)... ....--.-.-......--.-17
LS.D.of
Consol.
WestEndRuralHigh SchoolDist.ofAustin Countyo. Columbus
County,221s.W.2d777
Colorado (Tex.1949). .... . .. .--------24
R.S.,ch. 975,SS'1.-8,2005
Act of May 27,2005,79thLe9.,
Tex.Gen.Laws3269,3269-77.... ......-.17
D).............
- .82(subchapter
Tnx.Arco. Bnv.CoouSS251.71 .........--.-.-..17
(2004)
Tnx.Art'v GsN.Op.GA-02O9 ......................25
TEx.Arfv GsN.Op.GA-0635(2008)
Tux.ErEc.Coon5273.061.. .................4,'16
A-D)
- .155(subchapters
Tux.Erpc.ConnSS501.001 ....--.---..17
Tux.ErEc.CooeS501.021 'l'6,29,20
- .033
Tux.Eruc.Conr SS501.026 ..........19
Tsx.Ernc.CopuS501.031 ...............4,7,21
Tnx.Ersc.Coos $ 501.031(a) 79,20,27,28,33
..........8,
Miscellaneous
hryr/ /***.tabc.state.tx.us/local-option*elections/history-of3lections.asp.....6
vll
STATEMENT OF THE CASE
Nature of underlyingproceeding:
June 23, 2010,decision of the Dallas City Council to call a city-wide election in
November 2A10to legalize the sale of beer and wine for off-premise consumption
only.
Respondents:
A1l members of the City Council of the City of Dallas in their respective official
capacities: Tom Leppert, Delia ]asso, Pauline Medrano, David A. Neumann,
Dwaine R. Caraway, Vonciel JonesHill, Steve Salazar,Carolyn R. Davis, Tennell
Atkins, Sheffie Kadane, Jerry R. Allen, Linda Koop, Ron Natinsky, Ann
Margolin, and Angela Hunt.
Dallas City Secretary failed to certify to the Dallas City Council the number of
qualified voters signing the petition for local option election prior to a vote by the
City Council calling a local option election to legalize the sale of beer and wine
for off-premise consumption and City Council failed to require such certification
before calling the local option election. In addition, because the petition called
for a city-wide election, the City Secretary and City Council were required, but
failed, to differentiate between the City as a whole and historically dry political
subdivisions within the City, thereby disenJranchising voters in the historically
dry political subdivisions.
RecordReferences:
This Court has jurisdiction to issue a writ of mandamus under Tex. Ernc.
CooE 5273.061..
ISSUES PRESENTED
1. Did the City Secretary discharge her ministerial duty under Section
501.031of the Texas Election Code to certify to the City Council the "number of
qualified voters signing the petition" when she made no finding regarding the
number of qualified voters signing the petition calling for a local option election'
but instead merely certified that she had examined the petition and that the
2. Did the City Council discharge its ministerial duty under Section
501.032(a)of the Texas Election Code to verify that it was presented with a
signing the petition" which satisfied the 35% statutory threshold requirement of
state law before ordering a local option election as requested in the petition?
3. Did the City Secretary and City Council each fail to perform its
respective duties under Article XVI, Section 20(c), of the Texas Constitution, the
Texas Election Code and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code to delineate the
boundaries of the historic political subdivisions located within the City of Dallas
that previously elected dry status, to require a certification in proper fotm, and to
number of qualified voters validly signed the petition for each aJfectedpolitical
subdivision, as well as those residing in the City of Dallas, before certifying and
STATNVTNNT OF FACTS
The City of Dallas covers an area of 342 square miles and extends into
parts of Dallas, CollirU Denton, Kaufman and Rockwall counties.l Over the
years, Dallas has consolidated with and has annexed other incorporated cities
and towns, some of which voted to remain, and currently are, dry- Three
. When the CiW of Oak Clif{ was annexed into the City of Dallas in
1g1g,the special law passed by the Texas Legislature changing the boundaries of
the City of Dallas included a provision that prohibited a City of Dallas election
from changing the dry local option status of Oak Cliff.3 The Supreme Court
1 The Court is requested to take judicial notice of these facts which are reflected in the U.S. Census
Bureau's Quick Factsand may be viewed at http:/lquickfacts.census.govlqfd/states/48/4819000.htm1.
2 While Relators cite three examples, the City's own records allow a complete determination of dry
historic political subdivisions located within the Cify of Dallas. Consequently, the relief requested is not
limited to separately verifying signatures only for these three examples.
3 City of Oak Aiffa. State,79 S.W. 1, 3 (Tex. 1904): "section 10 of the ...act is in these words: 'The said
terriiory of Oak Cliff hereby added to the city of Dallas, is hereby declared to be a residence district, and
the city council of Dallas shall never have authority to permit any intoxicating liquors to be sold, bartered
or exciranged within said limits. That the present statute of local option, as it now exists in said territory
of Oak Cliff, shall not be repealed or changed Ot act of the city council of Dallas, and should any
?
[-
addressed the validity of that statutory provision and noted: "[T]he effect .-. is
to declare the law as it was at the time the charter was amended, and in no
manner affects the rights of the citizens of Oak Cliff on that question as they
existed prior to the adding of that territory to the city of Dallas. It was useless
Preston Hollow was annexed by the City of Dallass and its dry status has not
changed.o
Then on April 1., 1978, Ordinance No. 15794 consolidating the City of Kleberg
on March 1-.6,2010, the City secretary of the City of Dallas (the "City
election be held on said question, it shall be held solely in the entire justice precinct in which the city of
Oak Cliff was, and is, situated prior to the adoption of this act, to wit: Precinct No. 7, Dallas County,
Texas, as it is now constituted."'
5 MR 000232.
6 MR 000219.
7 MR 000218,000221.-00023'l-.
8 MR 000153-000216.
City of Dallas to legalize "the legal sale of beer and wine for off-premise
legalize the sale of beer and wine for off-premise consumption for the entire City
between the City as a whole and those historical political subdivisions, including
incorporated cities and historic JusticePrecincts located within the City of Dallas,
such as Preston Hollow, Kleberg, and historic JP7 (now part of current Justice
After the petition was filed, on June 3, 2A10,Wood and Dallas County
Commissioner John Wiley Price ("Price"), citizens and voters of the City of
Dallas, each requested the City Secretary to verify each signature on the petition
as permitted by Section 501.031of the Texas Election Code.12 Wood and Price
expressed concern about the validif of the signatures and the lack of sufficient
signatures from dry justice precincts. On June 7 and 8, 201A,the City Secretary
e MR 000001-5;Appendix A.
t0 MR 000002 One page as Appendix B. For the Court's convenience, due to its length, only the first ten
pages of the Petition have been printed. The entire PetitiorU which is contained on three compact discs is
MR 000007. Only the first page of the Petition is included in the Appendix. The Court's clerk has advised
Relators that the Court consented to Relators' filing the Petition in CD format due to its length. Another
petition was received at the same tirne calling for an election to legalize the sale of mixed beverages in
restautants by food and beverage certificate holders only, but this mandamus proceeding is not
addressed to that petition.
Wood and Price that the verification process would not begin until receipt of the
requested $43,505.98,that the process would take three weeks and that if it took
less than three weeks, a refund would be issued.la On June 15, 2010,$43,505.98
was paid to the City Secretary.rs On ]une 15,201,:0,the City Secretary notified
Five days later, on June 22,20L0, Wood's counsel gave written notice to the
City Secretary that an independent audit of all petition signatures had been
conducted by * outside exper! The Election Group, LLC, and that the petition
signatures.le The next day, June 23, 2010, the City Secretary issued a
"Memorandum" to the Mayor and Members of the City Council advising that
13MR 000&11.000247.
14MR 000040,000247. The City has not refunded any of the cost of the requested signature-by-signature
verification paid to the City, nor provided any breakdown or explanation of the reasonablenessof any
such expenses.
15MR 000104,000039;Appendix D
15MR 000035.
17MR 000036-000038;
Appendix E; MR 000104.
18 The minimum number is equal to 35% of those City of Dallas voters who voted in the last
gubernatorial election. TEx. Errc. Coos S 501.032(a).
1eMR 000023-000025.
she had "examined" the signafures on the petition and summarily stated that she
had found the two petitions to contain "sufficient signatures" to quatfy as valid
and, therefore, submitted the petition and a "certificate of sufficiency" to the City
Council for appropriate action.2o Neither the Memorandum nor the Certificate
certified the actual "number" of signatures individually verified, nor did either
Nonetheless, on June 23, 2010,the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 27932,
ordering a special election to be held on the petition on November 2,2010, for the
on whether to legalize "the sale of beer and wine for off-premise consumption
oily" in the City of Dallas.2r The Ordinance set the boundaries for the election to
encompassall of the City of Dallas, but failed to define the boundaries of all dry
Sra.NorNc oF RELAToRS
petition signatures and arranged payment of the cost of such verification and,
consequently, has standing to complain of the failure to properly call the local
option election. In Blum zt. Lanier, 997 S.W.zd 259, 262 $ex. 1999), the Texas
20MR 000(X2-000045;Appendix F.
21MR 000046-000095;
Appendix G.
Supreme Court held that the signer of a petition, as a sponsor of legislation, has a
justiciable interest in seeing that the legislation is submitted to the people for a
vote and reasoned that "citizens who exercise their rights under initiative
provisions act as and 'become in fact the legislative branch of the municipal
signature-by-signafure verification and also caused the costs for the verification
to be paid,.D These facts give Wood an interest distinct from the general public in
Episcopal Churctu represented by its Senior Pastor, Dr. Jerry L. Christian, St., is
located at1,440Sunny Gleru Dallas, Texas 75232,in the Oak Cliff section of the
congregants and includes persons who are residents of the City of Dallas and
who are registered voters residing throughout the Southern Sector in Dallas,
z wood arranged for such payment by a coalition interested in the outcome of the proposed election.
tt Nm.oooo99-ooo1oo.
10
C. The African-American Pastors Coalition. The African-American
Dallas and are registered voters residing in the Southern Sector of Dallas,
Stuart Road, Dallas, Texas, 75241 in the Southern section of Dallas and has
approximately 2,000 members, many of whom are registered voters who live,
u tvrRoooogg-ooo1oo.
25N&.oooo97-oooo98.
* vtRoooogz-oooo98.
11
Hollie, is an unincorporated association of congregants including persons who
are registered voters residing in the Oak Cliff part of the City of Dallas.27
Oak Cliff was dry when it was annexed by the City of Dallas in 1903.
Relators Kirkwood Temple, the Coalition, the Alliance, Mt- Tabor Baptist
representing individuals who reside in Oak Cliff who are opposed to changing
the dry status of Oak Cliff and who will be disenfranchised by a wet-dry election
held in the entirey of the City of Dallas, which does not differentiate between
the City as a whole, and the dry areaswithin the City of Dallas, in which many of
(Tex. 1993). In order to have standing, an association must meet the following
test: "(a) its members would otherwise have standing to sue in their own righf
(b) the interests it seeksto protect are germane to the orgatization's purpose; and
(c) neither the claim assertednor the relief requested requires the participation of
individual members in the lawsuit." Tex. Ass'n of Bus., 852 S.W.2d at M7 - The
Kirkwood Temple, the Coalition, the Alliance, Mt. Tabor Baptist Church, and
t'N,m.
ooo1o1-ooo1o2.
l2
Lifeway Church have joined this mandarnus proceeding in order to advance the
Suprpreny OFARGUMENT
The Texas Constitution and local option election laws provide for the
maximum possible voter control over the status of the sale of alcoholic beverages
in the area where a voter resides, and gives that control to the smallest historical
political subdivision. When Article XVI, Section 20, of the Texas Constitution
subdivisions that had elected dry status as of the adoption of this Constitutional
Amendment would remain dry until the identical political subdivision, using
identical boundaries, voted in a local option election to change that status. This
to wet-up the entire City of Dallas for the sale of beer and wine for off-premise
to the City Secretary. Relators seek mandamus relief to require that the City
Secretary and City Council comply with statutory and Constitutional safeguards
designed to ensure local option initiative petitions are properly veri{ied and
t3
The City of Dallas includes political subdivisions, such as Preston Hollow,
change that stafus, the voters residing within those historical boundaries must
unlawful and risks overwhelming those voters' choices by votes from persons
who do not reside in their historical political subdivision. The City must
separately consider and safeguard each such territorial status when ordering a
historical political subdivisions that formerly had voted dty and were
properly requested in writing that the City Secretaryverify each signature on the
estimated the process would take three weeks and required payment of the
OnIy six days after the cost was paid (and one day #ter counsel for
Relators notified the City Secretary, City Attorney and the City Council that an
independent local option election expert had concluded that petition was short of
the minimum signatures required to call a lawful election) the City Secretary
l4
petition contained "the required number" ofvoter signatures to call the election'
without stating the actual number of valid signafures required, or the number of
valid signatures contained on the petition. Although the City Secretary has a
failed to discharge its duty under the Texas Election Code Section 501.032(a)to
verify that it was presented with a "propet petition" that contained the required
number of valid signatures of qualified voters on the petition. Trx. Ernc. Copr S
501.021. Further, neither the City Secretarynor the City Council addressed either
subdivisions within Dallas that previously voted dry. As a result, an election has
been called on the basis of an unlawful "Certification" which fails prima facie to
comply with express Constitutional and statutory mandates. Any election called
on such basis is void ab initio and, moreover, will disenJranchisevoters itt dry
political subdivisions and fail to give such voters the Constitutionally and
15
Becauseit is the petition alone that vests the City Council with jurisdiction
to order a lawful election, the City Secretary's and City Council's failure to
ensure the petition is "proper:' rt uncorrected at this stage, Wil result in the
monies, the futile casting of votes, the disenfranchisement of voters, and chaos
regarding wet and dty overlap for citizen, homeownet, property owrler/
I. Mandamus Standards
law." Walker o. Pncker,827 S.W.2d 833, 839 (Tex. 1992). Additionally, the Texas
Election Code authorizes the Texas Supreme Court and courts of appeals to
law in connection with the holding of an election ...." TEX.Ersc. CooE S 273.061'.
l6
il. Respondents failed to perform ministerial duties imposed by law in
connection with properly verifying the petition and ordering a lawful
local option election and mandamus must issue.
part:
directive, the Legislature has enacted laws regulating the sale of alcoholic
beveragesand providing for local option elections, which are codified at chapter
25'1.of the Alcoholic Beverage Code and chapter 501 of the Election Code. See
Tnx. Coxsr. art. XVI, S 20(c);Tsx. Arco. Bsv. Coor SS251.71- .82 (subchapter D);
The Texas Legislature also has adopted laws intended to satisfy the
zt 1n2005, subchapters A, B, and C of chapter 251 of the Alcoholic Beverage Code were repealed and re-
codified at chapter 501 of the Election Code. SeeAct of May 27,2005,79th Leg., R.S., ch- 975, SS1-8, 2005
Tex. Gen. Laws 3269,3269-77.
l7
allowed the maximum possible control over the status of the sale or prohibition
Coog S 251.73. An authonzed voting unit that has exercised a local option
election retains the status adopted until changed by a subsequent local option
election in the same authorized voting unit. Tux. ALco. Bsv. CooB S 251'.72;Tnx.
geographic territory as when the status was established. TEx. Arco. Bnv. Copg S
S.W.2d 549, 553 (Tex. 1937) (holding that a dry city annexed to a wet area
"remained dry until it was voted wet at a subsequent election held in and for the
same identical area which had theretofore voted dry . .."); Cokerv. Tex.Alcoholic
n.r.e.) ("a political subdivision which has once voted dry remains so until sale of
t8
A. The City Secretary failed to comply with her duty under Section
501.03Lof the Texas Election Code by failing to certify the actual
number of qualified voters validly signing the petition.
Ort " a proper petition" validly signed by the required number of quali-fied
voters of a municipality, the City Council must order a local option election to
the names of the signers of the petition, including determining whether the
signers were qualified voters of the city at the time the petition was signed.
While the City Secretary may use a statistical sampling method to verify
signatures, once a citizen makes a written request, the City Secretary "shall verify
each signature on the petitiorl" atthe expenseof the requestor. Id. at $ 501.031(a).
The City Secretary is then required to certify to the City Council "the number of
made a written request for verilication of each signafure, however, the Dallas
2eThe local option election stafutes provide that when applied to a city election, references to the county,
county comrnissioners and voter registrar are changed to mean the city, city council and city secretary,
respectively. Tsx. Ersc. CoDE S 501.109.
t9
City Secretary assumed an additional, mandatory duty to review enchsignature
on the petition and to certify to the City Council the number of qualified voters
validly signing the petition - she was no longer authorized by law to use a
23, concludes: "Having examined the petition signatures, I have found the two
Council for appropriate action."31 The City Secretary never certified the actual
number of qualified voters who validly signed the petition, or delineated the
number between the city and political subdivisions, such as signers residing
within or without the historical boundaries of dry Preston Hollow, Kleberg and
historical JP7. The certification does not unambiguously certify the actual
number of qualified signatures on the petition at issue and not only fails to
indicate compliance with the mandate to verify each signature, but also omits the
Section 501.031(a) of the Texas Election Code, providing that the City
501.031.
The Memorandum and Certificate fail to satisfy the City Secretary's clear
each signatwe;2) to declare how many signatures were submitted and of those,
how many (i.e., what "number") were verified as validly signed; and 3) whether
writ), when the court stated: "[the commissioners court] has nothing before it on
which to act or defer action until the clerk makes his certificate." EIIis, 486S.W.2d
at 159. The Texas Attorney General in 1945 summarized the law regarding the
the petition that confers upon the commissioners' court the jurisdiction to order
21
an election ...." Tex. Op. Atty. Gen. 0-6364(1945),p.725; seealso PoweIIo. Bond,
150 S.W.2d337,340 (Tex. Civ. App. -- Waco 1941,no writ) ("it is the petition that
The requirement that the City Secretary certify the actual number of
qualified voters validly signing the petition, and not simply recite compliance
(1) Relator Wood timely and properly requested in writing and caused
City Council with a written briefing, and Assistant City Attorney, John Rogers,
provided the City Council and City Secretary with a briefing on April 7,2010,
utilizing presentation slides which advised that the City Secretarymust certify to
Wood and Price that it would take three weeks from the date of payment of the
cost to complete the review, then (a) issuing the Memorandum and Certificate
only six days #ter payment was received, (b) failing to heed the City Attorney's
32MR 000123,000130.
22
presentation that the statute requires her to report the number of valid
signatures, and (c) omitting any expressconfirmation that each petition signature
was verified, all confirm that there is no basis for presuming that the mandatory
(4) Relators' counsel advised the City Secretary that a petition expert
signatures.33
validty signing the petition deprived the City Council of jurisdiction necessaryto
order a lawful local option election and thereby deprived interested citizens,
The source of the Dallas City Council's authority to call a special election
to wet-up the City of Dallas is Texas Constitution Article XVI, S 20, Chapter 28'J'
of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code, and Chapter 501 of the Texas Election
33MR 0000233-000025;MR 000096-000099. As reflected in the Affidavit of Tim Reevet his company,
Election Group, LLC, independently reviewed the petition. The review took three and a half weeks- The
review disclosed that the petition was at least 5,555 signatures short of the required number of signatures
and that an additional 7,987 signatures should be statutorily disqualified because of missing or
incomplete voter information and illegibility.
23
Code. The authority to call the election comes from a special grant of authority.
Therefore, its exercise must be in strict conformity with the provisions of the
Constitutional and legislative grant. W. End Rural High Sch.Dist. of Austin County
State that where a power is expressly given by the Constitutioru and the means
or manner is exclusive of all others"\; Tex. Att'y Gen. Op. GA-0209 (2004).
hrdeed, the statutory requirements for the election are conditions precedent to
requiring the City Secretary to state "the number of qualified voters signing the
statutes should not be construed to mean something other than what the plain
words say, absent obvious error or the literal language will produce an absurd
result); McGraw zt. Nernby, 496 S.W.2d 250, 251,-52(Tex. Civ. App. -- Beaumont
1973, no writ) (invalidating local option election for failure to comply with
24
and precautionary measuresthat are intended to ensure that the election issue is
accurately presented and to prevent the imposition of fraud and mistake on the
City Council and voters, in certifying a petition and calling an election. SeeTex.
to certify the actual number of qualified voters signing the petition, but failed to
do so. Relators are entitled to have those duties compelled and performed prior
Accordingly, Relators request this Court order the City Secretary to certify to the
City Council the number of qualified voters validly signing the petition and the
City Council to perform its duty to evaluate the sufficiency of such certification
B. The City Council failed to comply with its duty under Section
50L.032 of the Texas Election Code by failing to obtain a valid
certification from the City Secretary of the actual number of
qualified voters validly signing the petition.
Section 501.032 of the Texas Election Code requires the City Council to
order a local option election on or after the 30th day #ter the petition is filed if:
(1) the petition is filed with the City Secretary within 60 days of the date of its
issuance;and (2) the petition bears the verified, acfual signatures of a number of
voters in Dallas voting in the last gubernatorial election. Tgx. Ergc. Copg S
25
501.032(a). The duty to call an election belongs to the goveming body of the
570, 579 (Tex. 1975) ('the commissioners' court has responsibility to call the
election ..."); T5*. ArcO. BgV. COoE S 251.82 ("u reference in this code ... to
While some prior Dallas Court of Appeals decisions held that a different
city council, faced with city charter provisions that gave it no discretion, lacked
126 S.W.3d 708 (Tex. App. -- Dallas 2004,orig. proceeding) and Howard o. Clack
those decisions
589 S.W.2d748 (Tex.Civ. App.-- Dallas 1979,orig. proceeding),aa
are of dubious precedential value today. The Texas Supreme Court recently
581 (Tex. 2008). The Relator in that case argued that once the Dallas County
recofilmended that the Commissioners Court order the local option election, the
Commissioners Court had a ministerial duty to order the election and its refusal
34 For example, in In re Porter, the Court found the Balch Springs City Council had no legal right to
disagree with the city secretary's certiFicate because the city's charter made the cify secretaqy's
determination of sufficiency final and binding. The Dallas City Charter contains no such provision, and
gives no deference to the certificate; instead it requires the City Secretary to examine the petition and
ascertain if it is validly signed by the requisite number of qualified voters and to attach to the petition a
certificate showing the result of the examination. The City Secretary is then charged with submitting the
petition to the City Council. In facf the City Council is required to take action on the petition only if
"properly signed." (Dallas City Charter, Ch. XVII, S 12, 13. Appendix Ex. & S). Nor could the Dallas
City Charter lawfully supplant the constitutional and statutory pre-emption of the Texas Election Code
and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code.
26
warranted mandamus relief. ln re Daois,269 S.W.3d at 583. The Supreme Court
rejected this argument outright, holding that because the petitions presented to
the Commissioners Court were not "proper," the Commissioners Court had no
The Dallas City Council's legal duty is not to order a local option election
to legalize the sale of alcoholic beverages unless the petition calling for such
Dapis, 269 S.W.3d at 586 ("Flere, however, the Commissioners Court was not
order a local option election for those historical precincts"). The Election Code
provides a mechanism to assist the City Council in performing its duty to decide
whether a petition bears the required number of qualified voter signatures: the
Code must contain the actual "number of qualified voters signing the petition"
or the certification is neither lawful nor proper, thereby depriving the City
27
The City Council did not obtain a certificate from the City Secretary
complying with Section 501.031(a)of the Texas Election Code, nor did it do its
own review of the number of qualified voters. The City Council had a non-
discretionary dury to order an election only if the petition was proper and
properly certified, but neither the City Secretary, nor the City Council, certified
the number of qualified voters properly signing the petition. Relators are
entitled to have those duties compelled. Accordingly, Relators ask this Court to
order the City Council to verify each petition signature and to state the required
The right of the smaller voting unit to control whether it is wet or dry is
well-established in Texas. SeeTnx. CoNsr. ART. XVI, S 20(c); TsX. Arco. Bsv.
hold that while it is true that the city of Houston Heights has long since ceasedto
exist as a municipal corporation, still it yet exists for the purPose of holding a
intoxicating liquors within the area originally voted dry."); Cokero. Tex.Alcoholic
28
1
Beo.Comm'n,524S.W.2d 570, 574 (Tex. Civ. App. -- Dallas 1975,writ refd n.r.e.)
(holding "that a political subdivision which has once voted dry remains so until
re Daais,259 S.W.3d 581, 585 (Tex. 2008) (holding that since an election in current
justice precinct 3 would not #fect the dry status of old precincts 2 and 3, the
that did not differentiate between the current and old justice precinct
boundaries); lackson a. State, 118 S.W.2d 313, 314 (Iux. Crim. App. 1938)
("intoxicating liquors, once having been voted out, can only be voted back by a
majority vote of the identical territory that had voted such liquors out.").
dry. Preston Hollow, Kleburg and JP7 are but examples. The voters residing in
Heights was then dissolved and annexed into the City of Houston. Houchins,!10
S.W.2d at 550. The Texas Supreme Court held that in order to change the status
of the part of the City of Houston formerly known as Houston Heights, the
election "must be held in the same area that originally voted dry." Id. at 555
(emphasis added). Houchins was cited with approval by the Texas Supreme
29
Court in its most recent decision addressingthe issue. In re Daois,269S.W.3dat
584.
sufficient qualified voters had signed the petition and recommended the
Precinct 3. Id. at 582-83. The Texas Supreme Court refused to mandamus the
current Precinct 3 would be effective to change old Precinct 2 and 3 from dry to
wet." Id. at 584. The Court cited Houchinswith approval and noted that Section
251.80 of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code "explicitly requires a vote in the
'territory ... constituting such original precinct,' and an election in new Precinct 3
would not change old Precinct 2 and 3 from dry to wet." ld. at 585. The Court
concluded that the petition to wet up current Precinct 3 was not "propet" and,
consequently, the Commissioners Court had no legal duty to order a local option
30
Orly voters who reside in the identical geographic territories of the
election that seeks to change that status. SeeTnx. CoNsr. ART. XVI, 5 20(c);
under the Texas Election Code and Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code to verify that
a sufficient number of qualified voters who reside in each of the dry political
subdivisions that will be affected by the requested local option electioru as well
as the remaining part of the City, validly signed the petition. Moreover, the City
Council has its own duty to specify in its election order the boundaries and
territory in which the election or elections will be held. The City simply cannot
conduct one election, based on one petition, for the purpose of wetting-up the
entirety of Dallas. Each political subdivision, including annexed towns and cities
and historical justice precincts, which previously voted dry, is entitled to vote
The Dallas City Secretaryfailed to properly count and disclose the number
of qualified signafures on the petition becauseshe counted in gross, and did not
distinguish between the City as a whole, and the political subdivisions that
previously voted dry, which are located within the City. In re Daois, 269 S.W.3d
changed by local option election--here, old Precincts 2 and 3-and only then may
3l
the Commissioners Court order a local option election in old Precincts 2 and3.").
The City Council also failed to properly call the election because it did not
distinguish between the City as a whole and the political subdivisions that
Relators ask this Court to order the City Secretary to count and verify the
number of qualified voters signing the petition who reside in each political
subdivision located within the City of Dallas which previously voted dry and the
remaining parts of the City, and to certify the number of qualified voter
signatures on the petition for each such political subdivision and for the
This Court has the power to facilitate the election process through this
neither unlawful nor futile. Elections are expensive and time consuming.
As pointed out in this mandamus petition, Dallas' City Secretary and the City
Council each failed to perform their respective duties imposed upon them by
law, which failures threaten to invalidate the local option election that has been
scheduled for November 2010. The mandamus relief requested herein will aid
the City in properly ordering and conducting a lawful local option election.
32
Relators respectfully pray that this Court gant this petition and issue a
(1) ordering the City Secretary to verify each signature on the petition
(2) ordering the City Secretaryto certify to the City Council the number
(3) ordering the City Council to verify that the petition is validly signed
(4) ordering the City Secretary to count and verify the qualified voter
signatures for each political subdivision located within the City of Dallas, which
previously voted dry and the remaining parts of the City, and certify the number
of qualified voter signatures signing the petition for each such political
(5) ordering such other and further relief in law or in equity to which
aa
JJ
Respectfully submitted,
LELAND C. DE LA GARZA
State Bar No. 05646640
ANDREW L. SIEGEL
State Bar No. 18341825
TIMOTHY D. ZEIGER
State Bar No. 22255950
DEREK D. ROLLINS
State Bar No. 24029803
34
TAB D
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ffi DearMrs. Warkins:
ffi
Hq t_IndgTexssElection Cod*See,S0l.S3I,thpundcrEign*d citizcnofDalh.s.Texas
hcrebyr*qu€$tlthrt thc f,ity NoT ilic efly *tEtigrleat s*mproh*n*d &r vsnficat,oi purpq$es"
b,unnsreed"
ffi tftrt tfic.qiry
ElectisnPetitiot-r'r
whicfi c*ll
now perdrngwirhthc Ciry.
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f, signf,fur€.hy_sigfteruru
for tha'tffiprcnri* rA;
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winc, in rhecity of Fallac,
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TAB E
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TAB F
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ffi . r ITII ATTOFU\E\TE & 6G.JF{SELQFS
Jk*{f,# L tl+E*t
Strra ll{.?EO. t{68
Junel?,2S1fi :s+gel0*h*llnr.n*t
Re: P*yraent of Cast Incrcaee For Futl Petition Vsifieetion and Demrnd for
Itemizafionsf u'Reasoilsble
Csst*".Authorimd Fy Statule& RelatedMattms
Pr.n$snt to your l6tt*r d*ted June 15, ?010" eneloscd please find eashi€t'eche€k
#4549Pd15in the anlount of $l?,333.49. as ftll6md final paymentnf wlrat you row slfliril rc bE
the third estima{e of the upfronf "rs&f&nabls cnst" d mafided by tlrc City, as a eemditisn
preccdemtto verifying eachsiglurure *n the Local Option Election Pctition for tlrc legaliaationof,
oiFpremisesnlesof beerend wine tlrcughout thc City ofDallss.
As noted hefurc, we bslieve that yaur dermandsfor futrl" upfront Feymf,fif src not
authrriced by staste {which contcnrpia-tcsrsinnbursemenfuf rEs.sonable
expcnsa*}end eonstitrne
w
t dispante, unf'air and unrEasonablcoostr and treatmmt of ReqnestotrB,
flst otherwi$Eallowed by
sfatute.
{urpo*nntly, to fh€ €xfrefifyour lcte*t esti*ratc afid demand are pmnnfsd an th+ nsed fcr a
hurried verificetion effart, eimply tu suit the political convenieuesand expedieneeaf, the eity's
derire to connpleiefhe verifrcatisn this Tuerda.y,in time for Council to een*iderthe Petition's
CLlrtifieefisn the fell*wing Wednesday,all *uch r*lsrrd sssts it unsffifrcssryr unrwso*ablc and
nolr-recfir/erablchy the ei$, given th6t the fouxrcii ic ${rt ruquired lo take astinn or any
]*133Leq fx;i*r*y
I 'ftrlrlfu ff*lr
iiffi l3*ile&taics6.r$Il*
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hliq {}{}*{.}16
m,
ffii
ffil Flon.Dcbsr*hWatkins"Esq- : ,; ,., t.i{J
ffit J u n ei7 , ? 0 l n
tr)age 3
I
ffil Certificatisn at ils next '"rne*tingo"b$t instead"only during the currentCcuncil'ssEssion$r teffil.
Thus, R*qu*stor* heleby eontinueto rcsErveall claims snd objeetis$ss$d pay_stchcosts,und€r
protestandsubjeettoandwi{hgutwgiverofallnt'ailablerights,remEdies*ndciamageaallaw
ffi irnri in equitY.
ffi Pursuantto comrnonand stf,tutcrylaw and rigltts" ineluding the TexaeOper Recerd*Act'
ffi clsrnand is hereby nnedefbr you to Blsaw promptly provide Requeslorswith an itemized
breekdousrr and deredption olhow you calculatedeaehof your insreflsiugand in$s*ingly high
ffi verificaticn cosls, an sxplanation sf ho$r and why ilch esr.alsting coe,l*&r* "reassnable" as
ffi required by *atnte, the sperific validation eritsris pruvided ts ysur verifiers to validate
signaturesand,thecredentialsand training cf tfuoseFGr$etHvedfyfng all eignature*.
ffi I?inally,i* fhe inrerestaf tm$spsrerey,this is to alert you and your verifiers to certain of
rhe defeetsth__sltrur audit feamatreadyhasidcntified thus fsr on the samePetition* at i*suc. $/e
ffi *re finding obrisus disqualifiegliansas pro:ridedby statute,as well ss the following recuff€nt
ffi and fnIatrdefectsin Fetition signaune*:
ffi We lcok lorwnrd to prornpt receipl of, the City'* findings, as well as to being providcd
wich the underlying itsmiz$tisn and expla*ation of the ever-iRcreasing,"tr€a$onable eosrs"y*u
have dernsfidedcffd we hevePaid"
ffi
ffi
Ilespmtft I Iy sub:rtitted,
ffi {
i 't
fi. l,
t
,il
/,i-
Uwuo*
ffi Andy Siegel
ffi