(A) The President of the Council shall preside over all regular and special meetings of the Council. The President shall call the Council to order at the hour for the opening of the meetings and on the appearance of a quorum. The President shall have the right to vote on all matters, but shall not advocate a position on an issue before the Council without first taking leave of the chair. In the event the President chooses to take leave of the chair, the Vice-President shall temporarily take the chair until the President concludes his or her discussion.
(B) The President shall:
(1) Preserve strict order and decorum;
(2) Decide all questions of order and his or her decisions shall be final unless appeals are taken to the Council; an appeal of the decision of the President or the Vice-President shall be taken as follows:
(a) The Council member shall indicate he or she is appealing the decision;
(b) The Council member shall state his or her grounds for the appeal; and
(c) The Council shall vote on the member’s appeal. If the appeal passes by a majority vote of the Council, the President’s decision shall be overruled.
(3) Appoint all standing committees at the first meeting in January or as soon thereafter as possible; however, the standing committees shall serve only during the term of the appointing President;
(4) Appoint all special committees which may be ordered by the Council;
(5) Fill all temporary and permanent vacancies which may occur in any of the standing or special committees;
(6) Appoint Council members to commissions, boards, departments and other agencies of the city, county or other entity when a member from the Council is required or authorized to be appointed by the Council to such commission, board, department or other agency pursuant to city ordinance, county ordinance, state statute or other lawful authority; (The commissions and boards shall include, but not be limited to the county’s Solid Waste Management District Board, city’s Plan Commission and the city’s Traffic Commission. All appointments by the President to such commissions, boards, departments and other agencies that were made prior to January 25, 1993, are hereby authorized, ratified and confirmed.)
(7) Sign all ordinances and resolutions adopted by the Council prior to their presentation to the Mayor as well as all ordinances after enrollment, and the journal of the proceedings; and
(8) Exercise any power or perform any function proper and necessary for the effective and efficient operation of the office.
(C) It shall be the prerogative of the President to assign an ordinance, resolution or other document, either to committee or first reading of the ordinance.
(D) The Vice-President shall possess the powers and perform the duties of the President of the Council when the President is absent. When a vacancy occurs in the office of the President, the Vice-President shall assume the office of the President of the Council and the Council shall elect a new Vice-President for the remainder of the term.
(1979 Code, § 30.11) (Ord. 3116, passed 7-2-1979; Am. Ord. 4099, passed 1-25-1993)