A. 
Composition. There shall be a City Council of seven (7) members, three (3) Councilmen, elected from each of two (2) Wards of equal population of the City, and a Mayor elected at large.
B. 
Eligibility. Only qualified voters of the City, twenty-one (21) years of age or older and a resident of the Village for one (1) year or more and who reside in the Ward in which filing for office.
C. 
Election and Terms. The regular election of Councilmen shall be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in April of each year, in the manner provided in Article VII. At the first election under this Charter six (6) Councilmen shall be elected; the one (1) candidate receiving the greatest number of votes in each Ward shall serve for a term of three (3) years, and the candidate receiving the next greatest number of votes shall serve for a term of two (2) years, and the candidate receiving the next greatest number of voters shall serve for a term of one (1) year. Commencing at the next regular election and at all subsequent regular elections, one (1) Councilman shall be elected for three (3) years from each Ward; the terms of Councilmen shall begin and end on the first regular meeting of the Council after the annual election.
At the first regular election after the adoption of this Charter a Mayor shall be elected at large by the qualified voters of the City for a term of three (3) years. The Mayor shall be a member of the Council. In addition, he shall preside at regular meetings of the Council, shall be recognized as head of the City Government for all ceremonial purposes and by the Governor for purposes of military law but shall have no administrative duties. The Council shall elect from among its members, a Deputy Mayor who shall act as Mayor during the absence or disability of the Mayor.
[Ord. No. 767 § 1, 5-19-2003; Ord. No. 990 §§ 1—2, 8-20-2012; Ord. No. 1243,[1] 1-9-2023]
After the effective date of this Charter, each Councilman and the Mayor shall receive four hundred dollars ($400.00) per month salary. To be eligible to receive this compensation, each Councilman and Mayor must attend at least one (1) regularly scheduled meeting each month unless they have been excused by the Mayor. Councilmen shall receive their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties of office. Receipts for actual and incurred expenses will be required.
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance passed at election 4-4-2023.
All powers of the City shall be vested in the Council, except as otherwise provided by law or this Charter, and the Council shall provide for the exercise thereof and for the performance of all duties and obligations imposed on the City by law.
[Amended by Ord. No. 375 § 1, 11-20-1989]
A. 
Holding Other Office. Except where authorized by law, no Councilman or the Mayor shall hold any other City office or employment during the term for which he was elected to the Council, and no former Councilman or Mayor shall hold any compensated appointive City office or employment until one (1) year after the expiration of the term for which he was elected to the Council.
B. 
Appointments and Removals. Neither the Council nor any of its members 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 the Council may express its 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 injuries and investigations under Section 2.09, the Council or its members shall deal with City Officers and Employees who are subject to the direction and supervision of the Manager solely through the Manager, and neither the Council nor its members shall give orders to any such officer or employee, either publicly or privately.
D. 
No elected official shall serve more than four (4) consecutive terms; provided however, that for purposes of computing said four (4) consecutive terms the Mayor and any Council member currently in office by election shall be deemed to be serving their first (1st) such term; further provided however, that any term of Mayor or Councilman by appointment to fill a vacancy on the City Council shall not be deemed a term for purposes of this Section.
[Amended by Ord. No. 268, 8-4-1986]
A. 
Vacancies. The office of a Councilman or Mayor shall become vacant upon his death, resignation, removal from office in any manner authorized by law or forfeiture of his office.
B. 
Forfeiture of Office. A Councilman or Mayor shall forfeit his office if he (1) lacks at any time during his term of office any qualification for the office prescribed by this Charter or by law, (2) violates any express prohibition of this Charter, (3) is convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude, or (4) fails to attend three (3) consecutive regular meetings of the Council without being excused by the Council.
C. 
Filling of Vacancies. A vacancy in the Council shall be filled by appointment for the remainder of the unexpired term, by a majority vote of all remaining Council members. If the Council fails to do so within thirty (30) days following the occurrence of the vacancy, the election authorities shall call a special election to fill the vacancy to be held not sooner than ninety (90) days and not later than one hundred twenty (120) days following the occurrence of the vacancy and to be otherwise governed by the provisions of Article VII. Notwithstanding the requirement in Section 2.11(C) that a quorum of the Council consists of four (4) members, if at any time the membership of the Council is reduced to less than four (4), the remaining members may by majority action appoint additional members to raise the membership to four (4).
Whenever three (3) or more vacancies exist simultaneously in the office of Councilman, the City Clerk, within ten (10) days thereafter, shall make arrangements for the necessary special election to be held as soon as legally possible, to fill such vacancies for the unexpired terms of the said elective officers.
The Council shall be the judge of the qualification of its members 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 (1) or more newspapers of general circulation in the City at least one (1) week in advance of the hearing. Decisions made by the Council under this Section shall be subject to review by the courts.
The Council shall appoint a resident of the City who shall have the title of City Clerk. The City Clerk shall give notice of Council meetings to its members and the public, keep the journal of its proceedings and perform such other duties as are assigned to him by this Charter or the City Manager by the authority of the Council.
The Council may make investigations into the affairs of the City and the conduct of any City department, office or agency and for this purpose may subpoena witnesses, administer oaths, take testimony and require the production of evidence. Any person who fails or refuses to obey a lawful order issued in the exercise of these powers by the Council shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and punishable by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars ($100.00).
The Council shall provide for an independent annual audit of all City accounts and may provide for such more frequent audits as it deems necessary. Such audits shall be made by a certified public accountant or firm of such accountants who have no personal interest, direct or indirect, in the fiscal affairs of the City Government or any of its officers. The Council may, without requiring competitive bids, designate such accountant or firm annually or for a period not exceeding three (3) (3) years, provided that the designation for any particular fiscal year shall be made no later than thirty days after the beginning of such fiscal year. If the State makes such an audit, the Council may accept it as satisfying the requirements of this Section.
A. 
Meetings. The Council shall meet regularly at least twice in every month at such times and places as the Council may prescribe by rule. Special meetings may be held on the call of the Mayor or of four (4) or more members and, whenever practicable, upon no less than twelve (12) hours' notice to each member. All meetings shall be public; however, the Council may recess for the purpose of discussing in a closed or executive session limited to its own membership any matter which would tend to defame or prejudice the character or reputation of any person, provided that the general subject matter for consideration is expressed in the motion calling for such session and that final action thereon shall not be taken by the Council until the matter is placed on the agenda.
B. 
Rules and Journal. The Council shall determine its own rules and order of business and shall provide for keeping a journal of its proceedings. This journal shall be a public record.
C. 
Voting. Voting, except on procedural motions, shall be by roll call and the ayes and nays shall be recorded in the journal. Four (4) members of the Council shall constitute a quorum, but a smaller number may adjourn from time to time and may compel the attendance of absent members in the manner and subject to the penalties prescribed by the rules of the Council. No action of the Council, except as otherwise provided in the preceding sentence and in Section 2.06, shall be valid or binding unless adopted by the affirmative vote of four (4) or more members of the Council.
In addition to other acts required by ordinance or by specific provision of this Charter to be done by ordinance, those acts of the City Council shall be by ordinance which:
1. 
Appoint or amend an administrative code or establish, alter or abolish any City department, office or agency.
2. 
Provide for a fine or other penalty or establish a rule or regulation for violation of which a fine or other penalty is imposed.
3. 
Levy taxes as otherwise provided in Article V with respect to the property tax levied by adoption of the budget, but that the property tax shall not exceed fifty cents ($0.50) per one hundred dollars ($100.00) assessed valuation.
4. 
Grant, renew or extend a franchise.
5. 
Authorize the borrowing of money for any purpose necessary to the exercise of any power granted by this Charter and/or by the Constitution and the laws of the State of Missouri.
6. 
Convey or lease or authorize the conveyance or lease of any lands of the City.
7. 
Obligate the City under any contract with another Municipality, State or Federal agency.
8. 
Affect zoning or land use of any real property in the Village.
9. 
Regulate businesses or merchants of the City.
10. 
Adopt with or without amendment ordinances proposed under the initiative power.
11. 
Amend or repeal any ordinance previously adopted, under this Charter or the Village of St. John, except as otherwise provided in Article VIII with respect to repeal of ordinances reconsidered under the referendum power.
12. 
Issue, sell, pledge, or in any manner dispose of negotiable or non-negotiable, interest bearing or non-interest bearing bonds or notes of the City, upon the credit of the City, or solely upon the credit of the proceeds of special assessments for local improvements, or upon any two (2) or more such credits.
13. 
Make and collect special assessments on public or private property for public improvements, and to provide for enforcing the prompt payment and for penalties for delinquency thereof by any appropriate means.
14. 
Make public improvements and acquire by condemnation or otherwise property or any interest therein within or without the corporate limits necessary for such improvements.
Acts other than those referred to in this preceding sentence may be done either by ordinance or by resolution.
[Amended by Ord. No. 268, 8-4-1986]
A. 
Form. Every proposed ordinance shall be introduced in writing and in the form required for final adoption. No ordinance shall contain more than one (1) subject and shall be clearly expressed in its title. The enacting clause shall be "Be it ordained by the Council of the City of St. John as follows:". Any ordinance which repeals or amends an existing ordinance or part of the City Code shall set out in full the ordinance, Sections or Subsections to be repealed or amended, and shall indicate matter to be omitted by enclosing it in brackets or by strike-out and shall indicate new matter by underscoring or by italics.
B. 
Procedure. An ordinance may be introduced by any member at any regular or special meeting of the Council. Upon introduction of any ordinance, the City Clerk shall distribute a copy to each Council member and to the City Manager, shall file a reasonable number of copies in the office of City Clerk and such other public places as the Council may designate. Each ordinance before passage shall require three (3) readings, one (1) in its entirety at a regular scheduled meeting of the Council, at which time all persons interested shall have an opportunity to be heard. No ordinance shall be given three (3) readings at any one (1) meeting of the Council without the unanimous consent of all members of the Council. The Council may adopt the ordinance with or without amendment or reject it, but if it is amended as to any matter of substance, the Council may not adopt it until the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Council. A majority vote of the Council is necessary for the adoption of any ordinance.
C. 
Effective Date. Except as otherwise provided in this Charter, every adopted ordinance shall become effective from and after its date of adoption or at any later date specified therein.
To meet a public emergency affecting life, health, property or the public peace, the Council may adopt one or more emergency ordinances, but such ordinances may not levy taxes, grant, renew or extend a franchise, or authorize the borrowing of money except as provided in Subsection 5.09(B). An emergency ordinance shall be introduced in the form and manner prescribed for ordinances generally, except that it shall be plainly designated as an emergency ordinance and shall contain, after the enacting clause, a declaration stating that an emergency exists and describing it in clear and specific terms. An emergency ordinance may be adopted with or without amendment or rejected at the meeting at which it is introduced, but the unanimous vote of the Councilmen present shall be required for adoption. After its adoption the ordinance shall be published and printed as prescribed for other adopted ordinances. It shall become effective upon adoption or at such later time as it may specify. Every emergency ordinance except one made pursuant to Subsection 5.09(B) shall automatically stand repealed as of the sixty-first (61st) day following the date on which it was adopted, but this shall not prevent re-enactment of the ordinance in the manner specified in this Section if the emergency still exists. An emergency ordinance may also be repealed by adoption of a repealing ordinance in the same manner specified in this Section for adoption of emergency ordinances.
A. 
The council may adopt any standard code of technical regulations by reference thereto in an adopting ordinance. The procedure and requirements governing such an adopting ordinance shall be as prescribed for ordinances generally except that:
1. 
The requirements of Section 2.13(B) for distribution and filing of copies of the proposed ordinance shall be construed to include copies of the Code of Technical Regulations as well as of the adopting ordinance, and
2. 
A copy of each adopted Code of Technical Regulations as well as of the adopting ordinance shall be authenticated and recorded by the City Clerk pursuant to Subsection 2.16(A).
B. 
Copies of any adopted Code of Technical Regulations shall be made available by the City Clerk for distribution or for purchase at a reasonable price.
A. 
Authentication and Recording. The City Clerk shall authenticate by his signature and record in full in a properly indexed book, kept for the purpose, all ordinances and resolutions adopted by the Council.
B. 
Codification. Within one (1) year after adoption of this Charter and at least every year thereafter, the Council shall provide for the preparation of a general codification of all City ordinances and resolutions having the force and effect of law. The general codification shall be adopted by the Council by ordinance and shall be published promptly in bound or loose-leaf form, together with this Charter and any amendments thereto, pertinent provisions of the Constitution and other laws of the State of Missouri, and such codes of technical regulations and other rules and regulations as the Council may specify. This compilation shall be known and cited officially as the St. John City Code. Copies of the Code shall be furnished to City Officers and public offices for free public reference and made available for purchase by the public at a reasonable price fixed by the Council.
C. 
Printing of Ordinances and Resolutions. The Council shall cause each ordinance and resolution having the force and effect of law and each amendment to this Charter to be printed promptly following its adoption, and the printed ordinances, resolutions and Charter amendments shall be distributed or sold to the public at reasonable prices to be fixed by the Council. Following publication of the first St. John City Code and at all times thereafter, the ordinances, resolutions and Charter amendments shall be printed in substantially the same style as the Code currently in effect and shall be suitable in form for integration therein. The Council shall make such further arrangements as it deems desirable with respect to reproduction and distribution of any current changes in or additions to the provisions of the Constitution and other laws of the State of Missouri, or the Codes of Technical Regulations and other rules and regulations included in the Code.