City Secretary
The office of the City Secretary serves a multiplicity of responsibilities. The City Secretary attends City Council, sanctioned Commission, Committee and Board meetings, and maintains a record of accurate minutes of the proceedings. The office serves as the official keeper of City records inclusive of ordinances, resolutions, contracts, easements and deeds. The office is charged with maintaining records by and for the City in accordance with requirements established by law. In addition, the office staff coordinates municipal elections, monitoring the terms and attendance of all Boards and Commissions of the City, and overseeing the publications and postings of legal notices. The City Secretary also acts as the Records Management Officer of the City.
The City Secretary’s office is located at City Hall. Staff can be reached at 817-568-3040.
Election Information
From time to time, elections are held in Forest Hill. They can be municipal or national in nature.
The City Secretary serves as the Chief Election Officer for all local City elections and coordinates with Tarrant County elections for any state and federal elections. The Forest Hill Civic and Convention Center typically serves as an early voting and/or election day polling place in the City of Forest Hill.
Ballot by Mail
Tarrant County registered voters are eligible to request and receive a ballot by mail if any of the following conditions prevents them from voting in-person during the early voting period of on election day:
- Expected absence from the County during both the early voting period and on election day. (The ballot must be mailed to an address outside the County.)
- Disability
- 65 years of age or older
- Confinement in jail and not finally convicted of a felony.
Get started by filling out the official application form.
Texas Voter ID
On August 10, 2016, a federal district court entered an order changing the voter identification requirements for all elections held in Texas after August 10, 2016 until further notice. As a result, voters who have obtained an acceptable form of photo identification for voting listed below are still required to present it in order to vote in person in all Texas elections. The acceptable form of photo identification may be expired up to four years.
Voters who have not been able to obtain one of the forms of acceptable photo identification listed below, and have a reasonable impediment or difficulty to obtaining such identification, may present a supporting form of identification and execute a Reasonable Impediment Declaration, noting the voter's reasonable impediment to obtaining an acceptable form of photo identification, and stating that the voter is the same person on the presented supporting form of identification.
This requirement is effective immediately.
Here is a list of the acceptable forms of photo ID:
- Texas driver license issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
- Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS
- Texas personal identification card issued by DPS
- Texas license to carry a handgun issued by DPS
- United States military identification card containing the person's photograph
- United States citizenship certificate containing the person's photograph
- United States passport
With the exception of the U.S. citizenship certificate, the identification must be current or have expired no more than 4 years before being presented for voter qualification at the polling place.
Voting Locations
Tarrant County registered voters may vote at any polling place in Tarrant County both during early voting and on Election Day.
To confirm your voter registration status and find your election day polling place, perform a search using the Am I Registered? service.
Helpful Resources
Records Management
Responsibilities
The City Secretary is designated as the City's Records Management Officer by both state law and City ordinance and is responsible for:
- Developing and administering records retention and destruction policies
- Monitoring the records storage center
- Overseeing the control of electronically stored records
- Upgrading technology to provide for efficient and economic storage of records
Cost of Records
Charges, if any, are assessed in accordance with the provisions of the Texas Government Code Ch. 552, also referred to as the Public Information Act. A request "is considered to have been withdrawn by the requester if the requester does not respond in writing to the itemized statement by informing the governmental body within 10 business days after the date the statement is sent to the requester." [GC552.2615(b)]
If estimated costs exceed $100, the governmental body may require a bond, prepayment, or deposit.