If the Mayor shall die, resign, or remove his residence from the territorial limits of the Urban County during his term of office, or be removed from office, the Office of Mayor shall become vacant. If a vacancy occurs less than two (2) years prior to the next regularly scheduled general election for Mayor of the Merged Government, the Vice-Mayor shall serve as Mayor until his successor is duly elected and qualified. If a vacancy in the Office of Mayor occurs more than two (2) years prior to the next regularly scheduled general election for Mayor of the Merged Government, the Vice-Mayor shall serve as the Mayor until the next regularly scheduled general election in which any elective council office of the Merged Government is to be filled, at which time a special election shall be held to fill the unexpired term of the Mayor.
The Council is empowered to create and establish the order of succession to fill vacancies in the Office of Mayor in the event the Vice-Mayor should refuse or become unable to serve as Mayor pursuant to the terms of this Charter.
If the Vice-Mayor, or any other council member, succeeds to the Office of Mayor pursuant to the terms of this Charter, he shall cease to be a council member during his term as Mayor, and his seat on the Council shall be declared vacant and subject to the provisions for filling vacancies on the Council set forth in Section 4.06 of this Charter. Whenever the Vice-Mayor, or any other person, becomes Mayor pursuant to this section of the Charter, he shall have all of the rights, powers, and duties of the Mayor and shall be compensated at the rate set for the Office of Mayor by this Charter or by any ordinance fixing the salary of his immediate predecessor.