The City Commission shall, at the time of their organization, after the election of three members of the Commission, as set forth in Section 58 of this charter, elect by a majority vote of all of the members of the Commission one of its members as president and another as vice president for a full term of two years. If a vacancy occurs before a full term has expired, the Commission shall, at their next meeting, elect by a majority vote of all of the members of the Commission an officer or officers to fill the unexpired term. In case the members of the City Commission, after having taken ten ballots, which ten ballots shall be taken within three days after the time herein fixed, are unable to agree upon a president or vice president of such Commission or of the filling of a vacancy in such office, the officers shall be chosen by lot and said proceedings shall be under the supervision of the City Solicitor.
The president shall preside at all meetings of the City Commission, and perform such other duties consistent with his office as may be imposed by it, and shall have a voice and vote in its proceedings, but no veto. He may use the title of mayor in any case in which the execution of legal instruments or writing or other necessity arising from the general laws of the state so requires, but this shall not be construed as a conferring upon him the administrative functions of a mayor under the general law of Ohio.
The president of the City Commission shall be recognized as the official head of the City for the purpose of serving civil process; by the governor, for the purpose of military law; and for all ceremonial purposes. He may take command of the police and fire departments and govern the City by proclamation during public danger or emergency, and he shall himself be judge of what constitutes public danger or emergency; however, such a public danger or emergency proclamation of the president of the City Commission may be terminated at any time by an affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the City Commission.
The powers and duties of the president shall be such as are conferred upon him by this charter with such others as are conferred by the City Commission in pursuance of the provisions of this charter and no others.
If the president be temporarily absent from the City or becomes temporarily disabled from any cause, his duties shall be performed during such absence or disability by the vice president. In the absence or disability of both the president and vice president, the other members shall elect one of their number to perform the duties of president.
(Amended 11-4-80.)