(A) No member shall be excused from voting, except upon matters involving the consideration of his or her own financial interest, or official conduct. In all other cases, a failure to vote by a member who is physically present in the Council Chamber, or who has withdrawn without being excused by a majority vote of the remaining members present, shall be recorded as an affirmative vote. The question of the compensation and allowances of members of the Town Council is not a matter involving a member’s own financial interest or official conduct.
(B) (1) An affirmative vote equal to a majority of all the members of the Town Council not excused from voting on the question in issue (including the Mayor’s vote in case of an equal division) shall be required to adopt an ordinance, take any action having the effect of an ordinance, authorize, or commit, the expenditure of public funds, or make, ratify, or authorize any contract on behalf of the town.
(2) In addition, no ordinance, or any action having the effect of any ordinance, may be finally adopted on the date on which it is introduced except by an affirmative vote equal to, or greater than, two-thirds of all members of the Council, not including the Mayor.
(3) For the purposes of this section, an ordinance shall have been deemed to have been introduced on the date the subject matter is first voted on by the Council.
(Code 1976, § 2.10)
Statutory reference:
Voting, G.S. § 160A-75.