The common council shall consist of seven councilmembers. One councilmember shall be elected by the voters of each of the wards. Each councilmember must be a resident of the ward from which he is elected.
The city is divided into seven wards. The boundaries of the wards shall be established by ordinance.
Councilmembers are elected for terms of two years, except that the councilmembers elected from wards I, III and V at the November 1993 general election shall have terms of one year. Thereafter councilmembers elected from such wards shall be elected for terms of two years.
(a) 
The salary of each councilmember shall be $3,500 per annum, payable in monthly installments, for the first term following the adoption of this charter. Thereafter, the council may determine the annual salary of councilmembers by ordinance, but no ordinance increasing such salary shall become effective until the date of commencement of the terms of councilmembers elected at the next regular election, provided that such election follows the adoption of such ordinance by at least six months. Councilmembers shall receive their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties of office.
(b) 
The president of the common council shall receive an additional $500 per annum.
It shall be the duty of each councilmember to:
(1) 
Attend meetings of the common council and serve upon committees when appointed;
(2) 
Report to the mayor all city officers who are guilty of misconduct or neglect of duty.
(a) 
At the first meeting of the common council in January of each year the common council shall select by a majority vote a councilmember to be president of the common council.
(b) 
The president of the common council shall preside at meetings of the common council. The president may vote on any question submitted to the common council.
(c) 
If a vacancy exists in the elected office of mayor, the president of the common council shall be vested with all the powers and perform all the duties as mayor of the city until the vacancy shall be filled. When so serving as mayor, the president shall remain president of the common council.
A quorum shall consist of a majority of the common council.
Except as otherwise provided, each councilmember present at any meeting of the common council shall have a vote on every question brought before the common council for its consideration. No councilmember shall be excused from voting on any question except by a concurring vote of 2/3 of all present. The president of the common council when presiding shall have a vote as councilmember. No person whose election as councilmember shall be contested shall be entitled to vote on any question connected with any such contest.
The common council shall hold its first annual meeting on January 2 of each year. If January 2 is a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday, the meeting shall be held on the next succeeding day which is not a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday. The common council shall hold regular meetings at least twice in each month.
The mayor, the president of the common council or any three councilmembers may call a meeting of the common council by filing a written notice with the city clerk. The city clerk shall give notice of the meeting in the manner prescribed by law and the common council.
The common council shall determine the rules of its proceedings. Such rules shall not be subject to the approval of the mayor and shall be valid without his approval. The common council may compel the attendance of absent members. The common council may prescribe the powers and duties of all officers appointed, subject, however, to the provisions of this charter.
The president of the common council shall appoint the standing committees for a term of one year. The president of the common council shall announce the standing committees at the first common council meeting in January of each year.
(a) 
The common council and the committees thereof shall have the power to issue subpoenas to compel persons to appear and testify before either of them and to compel persons to produce all books, papers or documents in respect to any matter pending before either of them.
(b) 
Any action of the common council adopted or proceeding taken under or by virtue of the powers conferred by this section shall be valid without the approval of the mayor, and no copy thereof need be presented to the mayor.
The chairman of each committee of the common council or the presiding officer of the common council shall have power to administer oaths or affirmations to all persons appearing before the common council or before such committee to testify upon any matter.
(a) 
The subject matter of each ordinance shall be clearly stated in the title to the ordinance.
(b) 
No ordinance shall be adopted by the common council unless the title thereof has been published at least once in a newspaper of general circulation in the city. Such publication must be at least 10 days prior to the meeting at which it is proposed to adopt the ordinance.
(c) 
Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (b), emergency ordinances may be adopted without prior publication of the title.
(d) 
Unless provided otherwise, ordinances become effective upon adoption.
(a) 
The common council shall exercise all the corporate powers conferred by this charter, and except as otherwise provided by law shall have control and management of the property, real and personal, belonging to the city and all finances thereof. No debt or liability which may become a charge against the city shall be created or contracted except by authority of the common council unless otherwise provided.
(b) 
The common council may make, establish, publish, modify, amend or repeal ordinances, by-laws, regulations, rules and resolutions for the purpose of exercising any power granted to it.
The common council may by vote of a majority of its members to enact ordinances for the government and protection of all public parks, squares, gardens and places in the city. All such places shall be subject to all ordinances with respect thereto.