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Since July 1, 1992, Members of Council receive an annual salary of $8,500, and the Mayor receives an annual salary equal to that of a member of Council plus 33%. Beginning on July 1, 2020, the compensation of the Mayor and Members of Council shall be increased to reflect an ad-hoc cost-of-living increase based upon the increases in the National Consumer Price Index for the time period of July 1, 1992 through July 1, 2020, but in no case shall such increase exceed three percent (3%) per annum. This shall be a one time adjustment in 2020 in compensation not an annual, recurring adjustment in salary thereafter. Neither the Mayor nor any member of Council shall receive additional emoluments, allowances or bonuses on any account: Provided, that the Mayor and members of Council may participate at their own expense in any group insurance program offered by the City of Wheeling to its employees, consistent with the terms and requirements of such policy. (2-13-18.)
The Mayor and members of Council elected on November 3, 1992, shall take office on December 1, 1992, and shall serve until June 30, 1996. The Mayor and members of Council elected in the regular municipal election on the second Tuesday of May, 1996, and every four years thereafter, shall take office on the first day of July next following, and shall serve until June 30 of the fourth following year.
Council shall hold a regular meeting on the first and third Tuesday of each month, unless that day is a legal holiday, in which case the meeting shall be held on the following Wednesday.
A majority of the members elected to the Council shall be a quorum to do business, but a less number may adjourn from time to time. All legislative action shall be by ordinance except where otherwise required by the Constitution or the laws of the State. The Council shall keep a journal of its proceedings which shall be a public record. At the desire of any member the yeas and nays shall be entered upon the journal, and on the passage of every ordinance, the vote shall be taken by yeas and nays and entered on the journal and no ordinances shall be passed without the concurrence of a majority of the members elected to Council. Special meetings shall be held on the request of any two members upon notice to each member and as provided by rule of Council, consistent with W.Va. Code Sec. 6-9A-3. The proceedings of the Council shall be public, except for executive session as permitted under W.Va. Code Sec. 6-9A-4.
Except where inconsistent with this Charter, general law or ordinance, the proceedings of Council shall be governed by the rules of parliamentary procedure contained in Robert's Rules of Order. including, but not limited to, the requirement that debate must be limited to the merits of the immediately pending question; except that in a few cases the main question is also open to debate. Speakers must address their remarks to the presiding officer, be courteous in their language and deportment, never alluding to the officers or other members by name, where possible to avoid it, nor to the motives of members. It shall be the duty of the presiding officer to see that parliamentary procedure and decorum are maintained.
Except where a pressing public emergency makes complying with this provision dangerous to the public health, safety or morals, and by affirmative vote of two thirds of the members elected to Council, and where the ordinance sets out in full the nature of the emergency, a proposed ordinance shall be read by title at not less than two meetings of Council with at least one week intervening between each meeting, unless a member of Council demands that the ordinance shall be read in full at one or both meetings. If such a demand is made, the ordinance shall be read in full as demanded. No ordinance shall contain more than one subject, which shall be clearly expressed in its title, and no ordinance shall be revived or amended unless the new ordinance contains the entire ordinance revived, or the section or sections amended, and the section or sections so amended shall be repealed. Council may adopt codification ordinances, codifying, revising and rearranging the ordinances of the City or any portion of such ordinances. Every ordinance and resolution of Council shall be recorded in the office of the City Clerk, and shall be a public record. The Clerk shall prepare and keep a full and proper index of all ordinances, as well as separate indices of other proceedings of Council.
Any member of Council having any interest, direct or indirect, other than as a citizen of Wheeling, in any matter to be acted upon in any way by Council, shall have no vote on such matter, nor shall be privileged to take part in the discussion thereof except by unanimous consent, and, upon the request of any other member of Council, the member shall retire from the session until such matter has been disposed of.
Every ordinance, resolution or action changing the precinct boundaries or otherwise redistricting the City, or annexing any municipality or territory, or appropriating money in excess of one hundred dollars, or ordering any street improvements or sewer, or granting any franchise, or any right to occupy or use the streets, highways, bridges, or public places in the City or any part thereof, for any purpose, shall be complete in the form in which it is finally passed, and remain on file with the City Clerk for public inspection at least one week before the final passage or adoption thereof. No franchise, or right to occupy or to use the streets, highways, bridges, or public places in the City, or any part thereof, shall be granted, renewed, altered, amended, repealed or extended except by ordinance; provided, however, that nothing contained herein shall prohibit Council from empowering the City Licensing Officer from granting permits to churches, community associations and the like, for the use of portions of City streets for street fairs and fetes of similar character.
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