All legislative powers of the Town shall be vested in a Council consisting of five Councilmen, who shall be elected as hereinafter provided and who shall hold office as hereafter designated or until their successors are elected and qualified. The regular term of Councilmen shall expire on the third Monday in May after the election of their successors. Councilmen holding office at the time this Charter becomes effective shall continue to hold office until their successors are elected and qualified.
Councilmen shall have resided in Mount Airy for at least one year immediately preceding their election and shall be qualified voters in the Town.
A. 
Each Councilman shall receive compensation of an annual salary in the amount of $4,000 per year.[1]
[Amended 6-7-2004 by Res. No. 2004-1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 34, Salaries and Compensation.
B. 
The Council may by ordinance increase or decrease the compensation herein provided; provided, however, that the compensation in effect at the time a Councilman takes office shall not be changed during the period for which he was elected. Any ordinance changing the compensation for members of the Council must be passed prior to a Town election for Council members to take effect only as to members elected thereafter.
Newly elected Councilmen shall take office at a meeting of the Council to be held on the third Monday in May in each regular Town election year. The Council thereafter shall meet in regular session on the first Monday of each month and at such other times as may be prescribed by its rules. Special meetings may be called by the Mayor or by a majority of the members of the Council as often as necessary for the transaction of business. All meetings of the Council shall be open to the public and the rules of the Council shall provide that residents of the Town of Mount Airy shall have a reasonable opportunity to be heard at any such meeting in regard to any matters considered thereat.
The Council shall be the judge of the election and qualifications of its members.
[Amended 2-5-2024 by Ord. No. 2024-1]
The Council shall elect one of its members to serve as President of the Council. The President of the Council may vote on all issues coming before the Council, except while serving as Acting Mayor. The President shall serve as Acting Mayor in case of the temporary absence or disability of the Mayor or vacancy in the office of Mayor, during which time the President shall have all the powers of the Mayor as set forth in this Charter. The President shall have no vote on the Council while serving as Acting Mayor.
The Mayor may attend all Council meetings and take part in the discussion, but he shall have no vote on any matter.
A majority of the Council shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business but no ordinance shall be approved nor any other action taken without the favorable votes of a majority of the whole number of members elected to the Council.
The Council shall determine its own rules and order of business. It shall keep a journal of its proceedings and enter therein the yeas and nays upon any question, resolution or ordinance reflecting how each Council member voted. The journal shall be open to public inspection.
Vacancies in the Council shall be filled as provided in § C12-3 of this Charter.
The Council by ordinance may create, change and abolish offices, departments or agencies, other than the offices, departments and agencies established by this Charter. The Council by ordinance may assign additional functions or duties of offices, departments or agencies established by this Charter, but may not discontinue or assign to any other office, department or agency any function or duty assigned by this Charter to a particular office, department or agency.
The Council shall fix the salaries of all officers and employees of the Town of Mount Airy.
[Amended 1-5-1990 by Res. No. 1989-2; 10-7-2013 by Res. No. 2013-4]
A. 
All laws shall be enacted by ordinance. Each ordinance shall embrace but one subject which shall be described in its title; and no law or section of law shall be revised or amended by reference to its title or section only.
B. 
No ordinance shall be passed at the meeting at which it is introduced. At any regular or special meeting of the Council held not less than six nor more than 75 days after the meeting at which an ordinance was introduced, it shall be passed, or passed as amended, or rejected or its consideration deferred to some specified future date. In cases of emergency, the provision that an ordinance may not be passed at the meeting at which it is introduced may be suspended by the affirmative votes of four members of the Council. Every ordinance, unless it be passed as an emergency ordinance, shall become effective at the expiration of 20 calendar days following approval by the Mayor or passage by the Council over his veto. An emergency ordinance shall become effective on the date specified in the ordinance, but no ordinance shall become effective until approved by the Mayor or passed over his veto by the Council.
All ordinances passed by the Council shall be delivered by the Council Secretary or the Town Clerk at once, or as soon as conveniently may be, to the Mayor for his approval or disapproval. If the Mayor approves of any ordinance, he shall sign it. If the Mayor disapproves of any ordinance, he may refuse to sign it. The Mayor shall return all ordinances to the Council Secretary or the Town Clerk within six days after delivery to him with his approval or disapproval. Any ordinance approved by the Mayor shall be law. Any ordinance disapproved by the Mayor shall be returned by the Mayor without his signature and with a message stating the reasons for his disapproval. Any disapproved ordinance shall not become a law unless subsequently passed by a favorable vote of 4/5 of the whole Council at the next regular meeting of the Council or at any special meeting of the Council held before said next regular meeting. If the Mayor fails to return any ordinance within six days of its delivery to him as aforesaid, then the ordinance shall become law without his approval; provided, however, that no budget ordinance adopted pursuant to § C6-6 and no bond issue approved under § C6-19 shall be subject to veto.
Ordinances, when passed and approved by the Mayor, when not returned by him within the specified time or when passed over his veto, shall be permanently filed by the Council Secretary or the Town Clerk in a book or books which shall be kept for that purpose and which shall be kept open for public inspection.
A. 
The Council shall have the power to pass all such ordinances not contrary to the Constitution and laws of Maryland or this Charter as it may deem necessary for the good government of the Town; for the protection and preservation of the Town's property, rights and privileges; for the preservation of peace and good order and for securing persons and property from violence, danger or destruction; and for the protection of the health, comfort and convenience of the residents of the Town of Mount Airy and visitors thereto and sojourners therein.
B. 
The members of the Council may select and appoint from their number such committees as they may deem necessary or advisable to assist the Council in the performance of its duties.