Except as limited by this charter, the legislative powers of the city shall be vested in a city council consisting of seven members. Four members shall be residents of and elected from the four wards in the city, one member from each ward, and three members shall be elected at large. Except as necessary in the case of vacancies, members representing each ward shall be elected in the regular municipal election held in the year immediately prior to the year in which a presidential general election is held; and members at large shall be elected in the regular municipal election held in the year immediately following the year in which a presidential general election is held. All members of council shall serve for a term of four years commencing on January 1 of the year following the date of the member's election.
(a) Qualifications. Each member of council shall have been for at least one year immediately prior to the date of taking office both a resident and registered voter of the city. Each member of council elected from a ward of the city shall be a resident of the ward from which the member was elected. All members of council shall continue to be residents and registered voters of the city and, if elected or appointed from a ward, shall be and continue to be a resident of that ward.
Any member who ceases to possess those qualifications shall immediately forfeit his or her office. Council shall be the judge of the election and qualification of its members.
(b) Vacancy. Vacancies in council shall be filled by appointment made by the remaining councilmembers. In the event council does not appoint a successor within 60 days of the occurrence of a vacancy, the mayor may fill the vacancy. If the vacancy occurs more than two years and 120 days before the municipal primary election for the next term of that office, the appointee shall serve only until his or her successor is elected and qualified at the next regular municipal election. If the vacancy occurs afterward, the appointee shall serve until the end of the unexpired term of the former councilmember. Any vacancy that results from a recall election shall be filled in the manner provided by Article Nine.
(a) Salaries. The salaries of the members of council shall be established by ordinance or resolution, provided that the legislation is adopted not less than 30 days prior to the deadline for the filing of nominating petitions by candidates for the office of councilmember for the next term, and subject to further provisions of this charter.
(b) Salary Recommendation. Council shall accept, reject, or modify the civil service commission's recommendations made under Article Six within 90 days of receiving them. Without any action by council within the 90-day period, the recommendations of the civil service commission shall become effective as if adopted by ordinance or resolution under Section 2.8, but consistent with Section 2.3(c).
(c) Timing of Salary Change. No change in the salary for a member of council shall take effect during the current term of that member.
(a) Meetings. At 7:30 p.m. on the first Monday in January following each regular municipal election or, if that Monday falls on a holiday, on the first Tuesday, council shall meet at the usual place of holding council meetings. After the first meeting, council shall meet at times established by its rules or by ordinance or resolution.
The mayor, president of council, or any three members of council may call special meetings of council upon written notice served in whichever ways are reasonably calculated to give members of council the most immediate notice possible, at least six hours before the time of the meeting. Any notice of a special meeting shall state the subject or subjects to be considered at the meeting and no other subject shall be considered.
All meetings of council or its committees shall be open to the public, except that executive sessions may be held in accordance with general law.
(b) Election of Council Officers. The president and vice president of council shall be elected at the first meeting of council by a majority of those present. The member of council present who has the longest consecutive tenure of office shall preside over the organizational meeting until the president of council is elected.
(a) Quorum. A majority of councilmembers shall be a quorum to do business but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day and compel the attendance of absent members in a manner and under penalties established by ordinance or resolution.
(b) Rules. Council shall determine its own rules and order of business and shall keep a permanent record of its proceedings. Any citizen shall have access to the minutes and records at all reasonable times.
(c) Voting. The affirmative vote of a majority of councilmembers present shall be necessary to adopt any ordinance or resolution. The vote on any ordinance or resolution shall be recorded and kept in a permanent record.
(a) The president and vice president shall each serve a term of two years. The president or vice president may be removed from his or her office by a two-thirds vote of all councilmembers.
The president of council shall preside at all meetings of council and perform the duties imposed by this charter and by the rules of council. The president shall have the same right to vote on all matters presented to council as any other member of council.
(b) In the event of a vacancy in the office, or the temporary absence or disability of the president of council, the vice president shall serve as acting president of council. The acting president shall exercise the powers and perform the duties of the president of council until the vacancy in the office of president of council is filled by council or until the temporary absence or disability of the president of council ends.
Loading...