The Council shall exercise a power only by the passage of a motion, a resolution, an amendment, or an ordinance in the following manner:
(Code of Iowa, Sec. 364.3[1])
1. Action by Council. Passage of an ordinance, amendment, or resolution requires a majority vote of all of the members of the Council. Passage of a motion requires a majority vote of a quorum of the Council. A resolution must be passed to spend public funds in excess of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) on a public improvement project, or to accept public improvements and facilities upon their completion. Each Council member’s vote on a measure must be recorded. A measure which fails to receive sufficient votes for passage shall be considered defeated.
(Code of Iowa, Sec. 380.4)
2. Overriding Mayor’s Veto. Within thirty (30) days after the Mayor’s veto, the Council may pass the measure again by a vote of not less than two-thirds of all of the members of the Council.
(Code of Iowa, Sec. 380.6[2])
3. Measures Become Effective. Measures passed by the Council become effective in one of the following ways:
A. An ordinance or amendment signed by the Mayor becomes effective when the ordinance or a summary of the ordinance is published, unless a subsequent effective date is provided within the ordinance or amendment.
(Code of Iowa, Sec. 380.6[1a])
B. A resolution signed by the Mayor becomes effective immediately upon signing.
(Code of Iowa, Sec. 380.6[1b])
C. A motion becomes effective immediately upon passage of the motion by the Council.
(Code of Iowa, Sec. 380.6[1c])
D. If the Mayor vetoes an ordinance, amendment or resolution and the Council repasses the measure after the Mayor’s veto, a resolution becomes effective immediately upon repassage, and an ordinance or amendment becomes a law when the ordinance or a summary of the ordinance is published, unless a subsequent effective date is provided within the ordinance or amendment.
(Code of Iowa, Sec. 380.6[2])
E. If the Mayor takes no action on an ordinance, amendment or resolution, a resolution becomes effective fourteen (14) days after the date of passage, and an ordinance or amendment becomes law when the ordinance or a summary of the ordinance is published, but not sooner than 14 days after the date of passage, unless a subsequent effective date is provided within the ordinance or amendment.
(Code of Iowa, Sec. 380.6[3])
“All of the members of the Council” refers to all of the seats of the Council including a vacant seat and a seat where the member is absent, but does not include a seat where the Council member declines to vote by reason of a conflict of interest.
(Code of Iowa, Sec. 380.4)