(a) Total Session Days. The County Council may sit at the County seat forty-five days in each year for the purpose of enacting legislation. Such legislative session-days may but need not be consecutive.
(b) Annual Legislative Session. The County Council shall convene for an annual legislative session on the first day of May (except if said date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday of the State or Nation, at which time the County Council shall convene the first working day thereafter) and may continue its session for a period of not longer than twenty-two (22) days, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays of the State or Nation.
(c) Monthly Legislative Session – Day. The County Council shall also convene on the first and third Mondays of each month except August, and in a councilmanic election year, November, for the purpose of enacting legislation, but if said session days shall be holidays, the said session days shall be held on the next succeeding day which is not a holiday. The Council may schedule a legislative session in August by a resolution approved by a majority of the Council. In the event of inclement weather or other natural disaster, the Chair of the County Council at the request of any three members may cancel any scheduled meeting, and may reschedule same as soon as practicable. If in advance of a scheduled meeting the Chair determines that a quorum will not be present, the Chair may cancel and reschedule the meeting as soon as practicable.
(d) Emergency Legislative Session. The County Council may be called into emergency session in any month either by the County Executive or by the Chair at the request of any three members of the Council for the purpose of enacting emergency ordinances. As used in this subsection (d) the term “emergency ordinance” shall mean one which deals with an actual acute emergency necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, safety and welfare; provided, however, that before any bill shall be passed at such emergency session, it shall require the affirmative vote of five members of the County Council.
(e) Meetings. The County Council may meet for the purpose of performing other duties properly exercisable by the County Council under the provisions of this Charter other than enacting ordinances at such other times and at such places as the Council may determine.
(f) Quorum. At all legislative sessions and meetings four members thereof shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
(g) Rules of Procedure. It shall be the duty of the County Council to adopt Rules of Procedure not inconsistent with this Charter.
(Bill No. 56-70; Bill No. 14-75; Res. No. 68-86; Res. No. 40-12; Res. No. 30-22)
Editor's note – The 2012 amendment added the provisions regarding monthly legislative session-days in August, and clarifying that the County Council may be called into emergency session during any month of the year.