(A) Appointments in open session. In the event of a vacancy on the Council, the Council must consider and make any appointment to its own membership in open session.
(B) Nomination and voting procedure. The Council shall use the following procedure to fill a vacancy in the Council. The Mayor shall open the floor for nominations, whereupon Council members may put forward and debate nominees. When debate ends, the Mayor shall call the roll of the members, and each member shall cast a vote for his or her preferred nominee. The votes of a majority of the total number of members voting shall be required to fill the appointment. If no one receives a majority, then those nominees who receive zero votes will be removed from consideration and each member shall cast a vote for his or her preferred nominee remaining for consideration a second time. If no one receives a majority a second time, then those nominees who receive the least votes will be removed from consideration so that the two nominees with the highest number of votes are left for consideration and each member shall cast a vote for his or her preferred nominee remaining for consideration a third time. The voting shall continue until a nominee receives a majority of votes cast during a single balloting.
(C) Mayor. The Mayor may not make nominations or vote on appointments under this rule, except in accordance with NCGS § 160A-63 if the number of vacancies on the Council is such that a quorum of the Council cannot be obtained.
(D) Multiple appointments. If the Council is filling more than one vacancy, each member shall have as many votes in each balloting as there are slots to be filled, and the votes of a majority of the total number of members voting shall be required for each appointment. No member may cast more than one vote for the same candidate for the same vacancy during a single balloting.
(E) Duty to vote. It is the duty of each member to vote for as many appointees as there are appointments to be made, but failure to do so shall not invalidate a member's ballot.
(F) Vote by written ballot. The Council may vote on proposed appointments by written ballot in accordance with the following:
(1) Secret ballots prohibited. The Council may not vote by secret ballot.
(2) Rules for written ballots. The Council may decide by majority vote to vote on a motion by written ballot. Each member must sign his or her ballot, the votes must be read aloud, and the minutes must record how each member voted by name. The ballots must be made available for public inspection in the City Clerk's office immediately following the meeting at which the vote took place and remain there until the minutes of that meeting are approved, at which time the ballots may be destroyed.
(Res. passed 12-11-2023)