After December 31, and on or before January 7 next following each municipal election, the members of council shall meet at the council chambers for the purpose of organization. At such meeting the council shall elect one of the members thereof to serve as president of council and said person shall preside at all meetings of council. The president of council shall serve as president for a 2-year term or until a successor is elected and qualified. The president of council except when acting as mayor, shall be considered a member of council for all purposes and have all the rights and duties of a member of council including the right to vote and shall be counted toward a quorum. When the mayor is absent from the city or is unable for any cause to perform the duties of the mayor, the president of council shall be the acting mayor. During the first 72 hours of the mayor’s absence, the president of council shall continue to serve as council president, and shall retain all voting powers related thereto. Thereafter, while the president of council is acting as mayor he or she shall not serve as president of council, shall have no vote and shall not be considered a member of council for the purpose of determining the number of persons necessary for a quorum or the number of votes required to constitute either a majority, 2/3, or 3/4 of the members of council. In the case of the death, resignation or removal of the Mayor, members of City Council shall elect a successor to the Mayor from among their membership, who shall hold office for the unexpired term, unless more than 29 months remain in the term in which case the successor shall hold the office until the next municipal election. Persons interested in being elected to the unexpired term for the Mayor shall do so by filing nominating petitions at least 90 days prior to the date set for holding the next municipal election with the Board of Elections. Said petitions must be signed by electors of the municipality not less in number than 50 persons. The nomination of each candidate shall be made by separate petition. The name of the political party, if any, of which the candidate is a member shall be shown upon the ballot at the municipal election as designated by the candidate’s petition. The candidate who receives the largest number of votes at the municipal election so established for the unexpired term of Mayor shall be declared elected, and shall begin serving immediately after being certified the winner by the Wood County Board of Elections.
(Amendment adopted by electorate 11-6-90; Amendment adopted by electorate 11-6-01)