City Council shall consist of a Mayor and six members to be elected by the qualified voters of the City at large. The Mayor and other Council members shall have equal voting rights.
The regular election of the Mayor and other members of the council shall be held on the general municipal election day as established from time to time by the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania commencing in the year 1975.
(*For the purpose of manifesting transition in the municipal election of 1975, four councilmen and a Mayor shall be elected. The two councilmen candidates receiving the greatest number of votes shall serve for terms of four years, and the two candidates receiving the next greatest number of votes shall serve for terms of two years. These four, together with the Mayor and the two remaining councilmen, shall form the Council of the City of Farrell.)
Once transition is accomplished and commencing at the next municipal election, and every non-mayoral municipal election thereafter, four councilmen shall be elected for the full four year terms. In every mayoral municipal election thereafter, two councilmen shall be elected for full four year terms in order that the council shall be maintained at six councilmen and a Mayor.
The terms of the Mayor and all councilmen shall be four years commencing at 8:00 p.m. on the First Monday of January following the year in which they are elected except that a Mayor or Councilman appointed to fill a vacancy shall serve for the unexpired term thereof.
The procedure for nomination and election of a Mayor and councilmen shall be established by the general laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for municipal election.
Each Councilman shall receive a salary at the rate of $900 per annum or such other sum as the council shall from time to time ordain; provided, however, that no ordinance increasing such salary shall become effective for at least four years after the effective date of this charter. No such increase in salary, however, shall become effective until the date of commencement of the terms of councilmen elected at the next regular election after such salary increase, provided that such election follows the adoption of such ordinance by at least one year. Councilmen shall receive no other compensation, direct or indirect, for the performance of their duties; "They shall not participate in employee pension plans or insurance programs for the benefit of municipal employees, or other forms of fringe benefits, except, however, nothing in this section shall preclude the right of a municipality to provide accident, and health insurance or liability insurance coverage for members of council when on municipal business or when in the performance of their official duties, limited to the duration of their term. They shall, however, be entitled to their reasonable, actual expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.
All Councilmanic authority shall be asserted by the Councilmanic body only. No individual Councilman shall have any authority whatsoever under this charter unless such authority is specifically delegated by the charter or by the council acting as a body.
A. 
Holding other office. Except where authorized by law, neither the Mayor nor any *(For Transitional Election Only) Councilman shall hold any other City office or City employment during the term for which he was elected. No former Mayor or Councilman shall hold any compensated appointive City office or City employment until one year after the expiration of the term for which he was elected to office.
B. 
Appointments and removals. Neither the Mayor nor any Councilman shall in any manner dictate the appointment or removal of any City administrative officers or employees whom the manager or any of his subordinates are empowered to appoint, but they may express their views and fully and freely discuss with the manager anything pertaining to appointment and removal of such officers and employees.
C. 
Interference with administration. Except for the purpose of inquiries and investigations under § C6-601 the Mayor or the council shall deal with City officers and employees who are subject to the direction and supervision of the manager solely through the manager; they shall not give orders to any such officer or employee, either publicly or privately.
The office of Mayor or Councilman shall become vacant upon his death, resignation, removal from office in any manner authorized by law or this charter, or forfeiture of his office, or for death or for failure to assume such office after election thereto within 45 days after the commencement of the term thereof. A Mayor or Councilman shall forfeit his office if he lacks at any time during his term of office any qualification for the office prescribed by this charter or by law or is convicted of a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude or fails to attend at least three consecutive regular meetings of the council without being excused by the council, or violates any express prohibition of this charter. In the case of failure of attendance, the council shall declare such office vacant at the next regular meeting.
If a vacancy shall occur in the office of Councilman for any reason set forth in this charter, the remaining members of the council shall fill such vacancy by appointing a person qualified under this charter to hold such office for the unexpired term thereof. If the council shall refuse, fail or neglect, or be unable, for any reason whatsoever, to fill such vacancy within 32 days after the vacancy occurs, or is declared by council, then the Court of Common Pleas shall, upon petition of the council or of any five citizens of the City, fill the vacancy in such office by the appointment of a qualified resident of the City until the next regular municipal election.
The Mayor and councilmen, prior to assuming office, shall take and shall sign an oath of office as shall from time to time be prescribed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Such oath may be taken and signed before the City Clerk, the Mayor, any judge, Justice of the Peace, or notary public of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and no person shall be permitted to assume such office until the oath, in written form, is filed with the City.
The council shall be the judge of the election and qualifications of its members and of the grounds for forfeiture of their office and for that purpose shall have power to subpoena witnesses, administer oaths and require the production of evidence. A member charged with conduct constituting grounds for forfeiture of his office shall be entitled to a public hearing on demand, and notice of such hearing shall be published in one or more newspapers of general circulation in the City at least one week in advance of the hearing. Decisions made by the council under this section shall be subject to review by the courts.
The City Council shall organize at 8:00 p.m. on the First Monday of January of each even numbered year. If the First Monday is a legal holiday, the meeting and organization shall take place the first day following. The council may transact any further business it deems necessary or appropriate at the reorganization meeting.