A vacancy in the office of Mayor or on the City Council, from whatever cause arising, shall be filled by appointment by the City Council, such appointee to hold office until the first Tuesday following the next general municipal election and until his or her successor qualifies. An appointee to the office of Mayor or to the office of member of the City Council shall have the qualifications for that office as set forth in Section 501; provided, however, that the vacancy of a City Council member elected at large may be filled without regard to District residency. At the next general municipal election following any vacancy, a successor shall be elected to serve for the remainder of any unexpired term. As used in this paragraph, the next general municipal election shall mean the next such election at which it is possible to place the matter on the ballot and elect a successor.
If the Mayor or a member of the City Council is absent from all regular meetings of the City Council for a period of thirty days consecutively from and after the last regular City Council meeting attended by such person, unless by permission of the City Council expressed in its official minutes, or is convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude, or ceases to be an elector of the City, or (as to any City Council member) ceases to be a resident and elector of his or her District, then his or her office shall become vacant. The City Council shall declare the existence of any such vacancy.
In the event it shall fail to fill a vacancy by appointment within sixty days after such office shall become vacant, the City Council shall cause an election to be held forthwith to fill such vacancy for the remainder of the unexpired term. (Amended March 5, 1991, filed by Secretary of State April 18, 1991; Amended November 7, 2000, filed by Secretary of State February 6, 2001; Amended June 3, 2014, filed by Secretary of State September 3, 2014: Amended November 4, 2014, filed by Secretary of State January 5, 2015.)