What is a general law city that has a home rule charter?

• A. A city with a population over 5,000
• B. A city with a population under 2,000
• C. A city with a population less than 5,000
• D. A city with a charter but no population threshold

Answer: (C)

In Texas, cities are split into general-law and home-rule based on population. General-law cities have 5,000 or fewer residents and operate under state law unless they opt into a charter later. Home-rule cities have more than 5,000 residents and govern themselves under a city charter. So a general-law city is defined by having fewer than 5,000 people. The option that states less than 5,000 matches that definition. The idea of a general-law city with a home-rule charter doesn’t fit the usual classification, since adopting a charter would make it a home-rule city, which requires more than 5,000 residents.