[CC 1990 §105.010; CC §21.010]
No person shall be an Alderman unless he/she is at least twenty-one
(21) years of age, a citizen of the United States, and an inhabitant
and resident of the City for one (1) year next preceding his/her election,
and a resident, at the time he/she files and during the time he/she
serves, of the ward from which he/she is elected; nor shall any person
be elected an Alderman who is in arrears for any tax, lien, forfeiture
or defalcation in office. All members of the Board shall hold their
office for a term of two (2) years.
[CC 1990 §105.020; CC §21.020]
Before entering upon the discharge of the duties of his/her
office, each Alderman shall take and subscribe an oath or affirmation
before the City Clerk that he/she possesses all the qualifications
prescribed for his/her office by the laws of the State and this Code
or other ordinances of this City; that he/she will support the Constitution
of the United States and of this State, and this Code and other ordinances
of this City, and that he/she will faithfully demean himself/herself
in office.
[CC 1990 §105.030; CC §21.030]
The members of the Board of Aldermen shall be two (2) in number
from each ward of the City.
[CC 1990 §120.010; CC §24.010]
A.
The
Board of Aldermen of this City shall meet in regular session in the
Council Room of the City Hall at the hour of 7:00 P.M. on the second
Monday of each month.
1.
When any such meeting day is a holiday, the regular meeting shall
be held at such time as may be provided by the Board on motion at
the previous meeting.
2.
The Board may, by motion, dispense with any regular meeting, but
at least one (1) meeting, regular or special, must be held in each
calendar month.
[CC 1990 §120.020; CC §24.020]
Special meetings may be called by the Mayor, City Administrator
or by any two (2) members of the Board by written request filed with
the City Clerk, who shall thereupon prepare a notice of such special
meeting, stating time, place and object thereof, which notice shall
be served personally upon each member of the Board or left at his/her
usual place of residence at least twenty-four (24) hours before the
time of the meeting. It shall also be the duty of the City Clerk,
immediately upon receipt of the request for the meeting, to make diligent
effort, to notify each member of the Board in person either by telephone
or otherwise of such special session. Failure to comply with the requirements
of this Section shall not invalidate any action taken at a special
meeting of the Board of Aldermen.
[CC 1990 §120.030; CC §24.030]
A quorum of the Board of Aldermen shall consist of a majority
of the full membership.
[CC 1990 §120.040; CC §24.040]
In case that a lesser number than a quorum shall convene at
a regular or special meeting of the Board of Aldermen, the majority
of the members present are authorized to direct the Chief of Police
or other City Officer to send for and compel the attendance of any
or all absent members upon such terms and conditions and at such time
as such majority of the members present shall agree.
[CC 1990 §120.050; CC §24.045]
All adjourned meetings of the Board shall, to all intents and
purposes, be continuations of the meetings of which they are adjournments,
and the same proceedings may be had at such adjourned meetings as
at the meeting of which they are adjournments.
The Mayor shall have a seat in and preside over the Board of
Aldermen, but shall not vote on any question except in case of a tie,
nor shall he/she preside or vote in cases when he/she is an interested
party. He/she shall exercise a general supervision over all the officers
and affairs of the City, and shall take care that the ordinances of
the City, and the State laws relating to such City, are complied with.
[CC 1990 §120.070; CC §24.055]
The Board shall elect one (1) of their own number who shall
be styled "Acting President of the Board of Aldermen" and who shall
serve for a term of one (1) year.
[CC 1990 §120.080; CC §24.060]
When any vacancy shall happen in the office of Mayor by death,
resignation, removal from the City, removal from office, refusal to
qualify or from any other cause whatever, the acting President of
the Board of Aldermen shall, for the time being, perform the duties
of Mayor, with all the rights, privileges, powers and jurisdiction
of the Mayor, until such vacancy is filled or such disability is removed;
or, in case of temporary absence, until the Mayor's return.
[CC 1990 §120.090; CC §24.065]
Except as otherwise provided by law or ordinance, the proceedings
of the Board of Aldermen shall be controlled by Robert's Rules of
Order, as revised.
[CC 1990 §120.100; CC §24.070]
The Mayor shall preserve decorum and shall decide all questions
of order subject to appeal to the Board of Aldermen. Any member may
appeal to the Board from a ruling of the presiding officer upon a
question of order. If the motion for an appeal is seconded, the member
making the appeal may briefly state his/her reason for the same and
the Presiding Officer may briefly express his/her ruling, but there
shall be no debate on the appeal and no other member shall participate
in the discussion. The Presiding Officer shall then put the question
to vote as to whether the decision of the chair shall be sustained.
If a majority of the members present vote "aye", the ruling of the
chair is sustained; otherwise, it is overruled.
[Ord. No. 2000.15 §1, 8-14-2000]
A.
The
style of the ordinances of the City shall be: "Be it ordained by the
Board of Aldermen of the City of Desloge, as follows:" No ordinance
shall be passed except by bill, and no bill shall become an ordinance
unless on its final passage a majority of the members elected to the
Board of Aldermen shall vote for it, and the ayes and nays be entered
on the journal. Every proposed ordinance shall be introduced to the
Board of Aldermen in writing and shall be read by title or in full
two (2) times prior to passage, both readings may occur at a single
meeting of the Board of Aldermen. If the proposed ordinance is read
by title only, copies of the proposed ordinance shall be made available
for public inspection prior to the time the bill is under consideration
by the Board of Aldermen. No bill shall become an ordinance until
it shall have been signed by the Mayor or person exercising the duties
of the Mayor's office, or shall have been passed over the Mayor's
veto, as herein provided.
B.
A majority
of the entire Board shall be required to vote in favor of any ordinance
before it shall be passed. A majority of the whole Board shall be
required to vote in favor of the expenditures of any amount of money
in excess of three thousand dollars ($3,000.00), with the exception
of regular recurring bills. However, such other business of the City
may be conducted by a majority vote of those present at the meeting.
[Ord. No. 2019.24, 8-12-2019]
[CC 1990 §120.120; CC §24.077]
Any business may be called up out of the regular order by the
consent of a majority of the members present.
[CC 1990 §120.130; CC §24.078]
Every member of the Board of Aldermen shall be required to vote
on all questions stated by the chair unless he/she be excused from
voting by permission of the Board or unless he/she be directly or
indirectly interested in the question stated.
[CC 1990 §120.140; CC §24.079]
If a member of the Board of Aldermen shall appear at the meeting
after the roll call or shall leave the meeting before the meeting
is adjourned, the fact that such occurred shall be noted by the Clerk
upon the record.
[CC 1990 §120.150; CC §24.080]
No member of the Board of Aldermen may leave the chamber while
in regular or special session without permission from the Presiding
Officer.
[CC 1990 §120.160; CC §24.090]
A.
At
the meetings of the Board of Aldermen, the order of business shall
be as follows:
[CC 1990 §120.170; CC §24.100]
Any member of the Board of Aldermen shall have the right to
express dissent from or protest against any ordinance or resolution
of the Board and to have the reason therefor entered upon the journal.
Such dissent or protest must be filed in writing and presented to
the Board of Aldermen not later than the next regular meeting following
the date of the passage of the ordinance or resolution to which objection
is taken.
[CC 1990 §120.210; CC §24.140]
Any bill shall be subject to amendment until the vote upon final
passage.
[CC 1990 §120.220; CC §24.150]
On the final passage of every ordinance, the "ayes" and "nays"
shall be recorded in the record.
[CC 1990 §120.230; CC §24.160]
All special committees shall be appointed by the Mayor of the
City unless otherwise ordered by a majority of the Board. By consent
of a majority of the Board, a special committee may be appointed at
any time to hold public hearings for the Board upon any matter pending
before it. A special committee is a committee composed of members
of the Board of Aldermen; the concurrence of the Board shall not be
required as to the membership of the special committee, unless the
Board shall order otherwise.
[CC 1990 §120.240; CC §24.170]
The Board of Aldermen shall cause to be kept a journal of its
proceedings, and the "ayes" and "nays" shall be entered on any question
at the request of any member.
[CC 1990 §120.250; CC §24.180]
The Board of Aldermen may by resolution prescribe and enforce
such rules as it may find necessary for the expeditious transaction
of its business, but such rules shall not contravene the requirements
of this Code or other ordinance.
[CC 1990 §120.270; CC §24.200]
Any rule of the Board of Aldermen may be repealed, altered or
amended by a majority vote of the members. Every amendment offered
shall lie on the table until the next meeting of the Board of Aldermen
before being voted upon except by the unanimous consent of all elected
members of the Board of Aldermen (including the Mayor). Any rule may
be suspended by a majority vote of the members of the Board, or quorum
being present by unanimous consent.
The Board of Aldermen shall semi-annually each year, at times
to be set by the Board of Aldermen, make out and spread upon their
records a full and detailed account and statement of the receipts
and expenditures and indebtedness of the City for the half year ending
with the last day of the month immediately preceding the date of such
report, which account and statement shall be published in some newspaper
in the City.
The Board of Aldermen shall have power to compel the attendance
of witnesses and the production of papers and records relating to
any subject under consideration in which the interest of the City
is involved, and shall have power to call on the proper officers of
the City, or of the County in which such City is located, to execute
such process. The officer making such service shall be allowed to
receive therefor such fees as are allowed by law in the Circuit Court
for similar services, to be paid by the City. The Mayor or Acting
President of the Board of Aldermen shall have power to administer
oaths to witnesses.
