All the powers granted to the city by this charter and by the laws of this state, except as otherwise provided by this charter are hereby vested in the City Council which shall exercise its powers in the manner hereinafter provided; except that the general management, care and conduct of the schools shall be vested in a school committee.
The members of the City Council constitute the municipal officers of the City of Bangor for all purposes required by statute, and, except as otherwise herein specifically provided, shall have all powers and authority given to and perform all duties required of municipal officers, and mayors of cities under the laws of this state.
There shall be elected at large from the qualified voters in said city a City Council consisting of nine members. At each annual municipal election there shall be chosen at large three members of the City Council to hold office for a term of three years. No voter may vote for more than three. Each member of the City Council shall hold office until a successor is elected and qualified. Members of the City Council shall receive the sum of $2,000.00 per year, same payable quarterly, and the Chair of the City Council shall receive an additional $500.00 per year.
The City Council may by ordinance increase the amount members shall be entitled to receive as compensation, provided, however, no such ordinance increasing the Council's compensation shall take effect until the beginning of the next fiscal year following approval of the increase by the voters at a public referendum. No member of the City Council shall, during the term for which he or she shall have been elected and for one year thereafter, be appointed to any other nonelected office of profit or employment position of the City.
No person may serve as a member of the City Council for more than three complete consecutive terms.
At the first meeting, or as soon thereafter as possible, the City Council shall elect one of its members as Chair of the council for the ensuing year, and until a successor is elected and qualified; and the City Council may fill for the unexpired term any vacancy as Chair that may occur.
If the Chair shall fail from sickness, disability, absence from the city or other cause to attend to and perform the duties incumbent on the Chair, the remaining members of the City Council may by unanimous vote, after notice and hearing, terminate the term of office of and remove said Chair therefrom and thereupon by majority vote may elect some other member of said City Council Chair and such newly elected member shall thereupon and thereafter hold the office and perform the duties of Chair for the balance of that year, and until a successor is elected and qualified.
The Chair shall preside at all meetings of the council, and shall perform such other duties, consistent with this office, as the council may provide. The Chair shall be entitled to vote, and the vote shall be counted upon all matters and things as a vote of other members of the council. The Chair shall be recognized as the official head of the city for ceremonial purposes, and shall have the powers and authority given to and perform the duties required of mayors of cities for all purposes of military law, and shall act as mayor in so far as representation is provided for the city by the mayor upon any board or commission or otherwise provided by any statute. In the temporary absence or disability of the Chair, the City Council may select a Chair pro tempore from among its number who shall exercise all the powers of the Chair.
The City Council shall meet at the usual place for holding meetings at ten o'clock A.M., on the first Monday in November following the regular city election, and at said meeting the councilors-elect shall be sworn to the faithful discharge of their duties by the city clerk or a dedimus justice. Members elected at other than regular city elections will be sworn in at the first regular meeting of the Council following their election.
The City Council shall, at its first meeting, or as soon thereafter as possible, establish by ordinance or resolution a regular place and time for holding its meetings and shall meet regularly at least twice each month.
Special meetings may be called by the Chair, and in case of the absence, disability or refusal of that individual, may be called by a majority of the members of the City Council. The City Clerk shall give to all members at least 24 hours notice of the time and place of such special meeting. The method of notification for meetings shall be established by the Council by resolve.
A majority of the members of the City Council shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. In the event any meeting is adjourned due to lack of quorum, the City Clerk shall give to all members at least twenty-four hours notice of the time and place of such adjourned meeting.
The City Council shall keep a record of its proceedings and shall determine its own rules of procedure and make lawful regulations for enforcing the same. The meetings of the City Council shall be open to the public. The City Council shall act only by ordinance, order or resolve; all ordinances, orders and resolves, except orders or resolves making appropriations of money, shall be confined to one subject which shall be clearly expressed in the title. The appropriation order or resolve shall be confined to the subject of appropriations only. No ordinance and no appropriation resolve shall be passed until it has been read on two separate days, except when the requirement of a reading on two separate days has been dispensed with by a two-thirds vote of the members of the City Council. The yeas and nays shall be taken upon the passage of all ordinances and entered on the record of the proceedings of the City Council by the clerk. The yeas and nays shall be taken on the passage of any order or resolve when called for by any member of the City Council. Every ordinance shall require on final passage the affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the City Council.