The mayor, or in the mayor's absence the vice mayor, shall be the presiding officer and shall assume the office and duties immediately following election. The mayor shall preserve strict order and decorum at all formal meetings of the council, state questions coming before the council, announce its decision on all subjects, and decide all questions of order, subject, however, to an appeal to the council as a whole, in which event a majority vote shall govern and conclusively determine such question of order.
All ordinances and resolutions adopted and contracts approved by the council at formal meetings shall be signed by the mayor if the mayor is present. In the event of the absence of the mayor, the vice mayor shall sign such documents. In the absence of the mayor and vice mayor, the acting mayor shall sign such documents. (1962 Code § 2-3.05)