No person shall be Councilman unless
he/she is at least twenty-one (21) years of age prior to taking office,
a citizen of the United States, and an inhabitant of the City for
one (1) year next preceding his/her election, and a resident of the
ward from which he/she is elected six (6) months next preceding his/her
election. Whenever there is a tie in the election of a Councilman,
the matter shall be determined by the Council.
No person shall be Mayor unless he/she
be at least thirty (30) years of age, a citizen of the United States
and a resident of such City at the time of and for two (2) years next
preceding his/her election. When two (2) or more persons shall have
an equal number of votes for the office of Mayor, the matter shall
be determined by the Council.
At the first regular meeting of the
City Council after the election in each year; which meeting shall
occur at the time fixed by ordinance, but shall not be later than
the fourth Tuesday in April; the Council shall elect one (1) of its
members President Pro Tem, who shall hold his/her office for the term
of one (1) year, and who, in the absence of the Mayor, shall preside
at the meetings of the Council; provided, that in the absence of the
Mayor and President Pro Tem the Council may select one (1) of its
members present to preside at such meetings, who shall be styled "Acting
President Pro Tem."
The Mayor and Council shall have
the care, management and control of the City and its finances, and
shall have power to enact and ordain any and all ordinances not repugnant
to the constitution and laws of this state, and such as they shall
deem expedient for the good government of the City, the preservation
of peace and good order, the benefit of trade and commerce, and the
health of the inhabitants thereof, and such other ordinances, rules
and regulations as may be deemed necessary to carry such powers into
effect, and to alter, modify or repeal the same.
The Mayor shall be President of the
Council and shall preside over same, but shall not vote except in
case of a tie in said Council, when he/she shall cast the deciding
vote; but provided, however, that he/she shall have no such power
to vote in cases when he/she is an interested party. He/she shall
have the superintending control of 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.
When any vacancy shall happen in
the office of Mayor, by death, resignation, removal from the City,
removal from office, refusal to qualify or otherwise, nominations
of a successor may be made by any member of the Council and selected
with the consent of a majority of the members of the Council. The
Council may adopt procedures to fill any such vacancy consistent with
this Section. In the case of a temporary absence of the Mayor or disability
to perform the duties of his or her office, the President Pro Tem
of the Council shall perform the duties of Mayor until the Mayor shall
return or such disability be removed; and during the time the President
Pro Tem of the Council shall act as Mayor, the President Pro Tem shall
receive the same compensation that the Mayor would be entitled to.
The style of the ordinances of the
City shall be: "Be it ordained by the Council of the City of St. James,
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 Council shall vote therefor,
and the ayes and nays shall be entered on the journal. Every proposed
ordinance shall be introduced to the Council 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 Council. 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 Council. No bill shall become an ordinance until
it shall have been signed by the officer presiding at the meeting
of the Council at which it shall have been passed. When so signed,
it shall be delivered to the Mayor for his/her approval and signature,
or his/her veto.
Every bill presented to the Mayor
and returned to the Council with the approval of the Mayor shall become
an ordinance, and every bill presented as aforesaid, but returned
with his/her objections thereto, shall stand reconsidered. The Council
shall cause the objections of the Mayor to be entered at large upon
the journal, and proceed at its convenience to consider the question
pending, which shall be in this form: "Shall the bill pass, the objections
of the Mayor thereto notwithstanding?" The votes on this question
shall be taken by yeas and nays and the names entered upon the journal,
and if two-thirds (2/3) of all the members-elect shall vote in the
affirmative, the President shall certify the fact on the roll, and
the bill thus certified shall be deposited with the proper officer,
and shall become an ordinance in the same manner and with like effect
as if it had received the approval of the Mayor. The Mayor shall have
power to sign or veto any ordinance passed by the City Council, and
shall also possess the power to approve all or any portion of the
general appropriation bill, or to veto any item or all of the same;
provided that should he/she neglect or refuse to sign any ordinance
and return the same with his/her objections, in writing, at the next
regular meeting of the Council, the same shall become a law without
his/her signature.
The Council shall cause to be kept
a journal of its proceedings, and the ayes and nays of the members
shall be entered on any question at the desire of any two (2) members.
The Council may prescribe and enforce such rules as may be necessary
to secure the attendance of its members and the expeditious transactions
of its business.
The Council shall publish a full
and detailed statement of the receipts and expenditures and indebtedness
of the City at the end of each fiscal year and six (6) months after
the end of each fiscal year in a newspaper of general circulation
in the City. Each such statement shall be for the six-month period
preceding the date of the statement.
The Council shall have power to compel
the attendance of witnesses and the production of papers relating
to any subject under consideration in which the interest of the City
is involved, and shall have power to call on the proper officer of
the City, or of the county in which such City is located, to execute
such process. The officer making such service shall be entitled to
receive therefor such fees as are allowed by law for similar service,
to be paid by the City. The President of the Council, or President
Pro Tem, shall have power to administer oaths to witnesses.
The Mayor shall, from time to time,
communicate to the Council such measures as may, in his/her opinion,
tend to the improvement of the finances, the police, health, security,
ornament, comfort and general prosperity of the City.
The Mayor shall sign the commissions
and appointments of all City officers elected or appointed in the
City, and shall approve all official bonds.
The Mayor shall be active and vigilant
in enforcing all laws and ordinances for the government of the City,
and he/she shall cause all subordinate officers to be dealt with promptly
for any neglect or violation of duty; and he/she is hereby authorized
to call on every male inhabitant of the City, over eighteen (18) years
of age and under fifty (50), to aid in enforcing the laws.
The Mayor shall have power to remit
fines and forfeitures and to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses
arising under ordinances of the City; but this Section shall not be
so construed as to authorize the Mayor to remit any costs which may
have accrued to any officer of the City by reason of any prosecution
under the laws or ordinances of said City.
[CC 1985 § 2-27; Ord. No. 11 § 4, 11-17-1937; Ord. No. 1020, 2-6-2012]
A.
Standing And Special Committees. The Mayor
shall designate standing and special committees and appoint representatives
to these committees as necessary. These committees will include:
1.
Transportation Sales Tax (TST) Advisory
Committee. This committee will include one (1) representative from
each ward of the City to be appointed by the Mayor. The committee
will also include a Council member as assigned by the Mayor. The TST
Advisory Committee will meet annually to review the transportation
sales tax collected and will work with staff to present an annual
recommendation to the City Council for expenditures of these funds.
[CC 1985 § 2-30; Ord. No. 345 § 12, 4-23-1973]
When any new ward shall be created
or set off and such new ward should include the residence of any member
of the City Council whose term of office shall not, at the time of
the formation of such new ward have expired, the office of such member
shall not be considered vacant, but he/she shall be entitled to serve
as Councilman for the remainder of the term for which he/she was elected.
[CC 1985 § 2-38; Ord. No. 13 §§ 1 — 3, 11-17-1973; Ord. No. 1020, 2-6-2012; Ord. No. 1021, 3-5-2012]
A.
The Mayor shall be president of the Council
and shall preside over same, but shall not vote except in case of
a tie in said Council, when he/she shall cast the deciding vote; but
provided, however, that he/she shall have no power to vote in cases
when he/she is an interested party. He/she shall have the superintending
control of all offices 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.
B.
The Mayor shall preside at all meetings
of the Council, sign all ordinances warrants, resolutions, obligations
of indebtedness and all other official documents required by law,
and cause the City Clerk to attest the same, and to place the Seal
of the City thereon before they shall become effective; he/she shall
make all appointments, as elsewhere by ordinance provided for, and
in case of vacancy, he/she shall fill such vacancy by appointment,
said appointee to serve until Council meets and appoints some suitable
person to fill such vacancy, who shall be under the same obligations,
discharge the same duties, and receive the same pay as though he/she
had been regularly appointed.
C.
The Mayor shall have power to sign or veto
any ordinance passed by the City Council, and shall also possess the
power to approve all or any portion of the general appropriation bill,
or to veto any item or all of the same, provided that should he/she
neglect or refuse to sign any ordinance and return the same with his/her
objections, in writing, at the next regular meeting of the Council,
the same shall become a law without his/her signature.
D.
The Mayor shall also have the power to
veto any resolution or order of the Council which calls for or contemplates
the expenditure of the revenues of the City. Such vetoes shall be
noted on the journal of the Council, and shall be effective and binding
unless the Council, at a subsequent session thereof, general or special,
shall pass said resolution or order by a vote of three-fourths (3/4)
of all the members elected to the Council.
E.
The Mayor shall, from time to time, communicate
to the Council such measures as may, in his/her opinion, tend to the
improvement of the finances, the police, health, security, ornament,
comfort and general prosperity of the City.
[CC 1985 § 2-19; Ord. No. 11 §§ 5, 6, 11-17-1937; Ord. No. 1041 § 1, 6-3-2013]
A.
The City Council shall meet in regular
session on the second Monday in each month, at the hour of 7:00 P.M.,
at the St. James Municipal Center, or some other convenient place
in the City.
B.
The City Council may hold adjourned meetings
at any time, which shall be to all intents and purposes a continuation
of the meetings of which they are adjournments, and the same proceedings
may be held at such adjourned meetings as at the meetings of which
they are adjournments.
[CC 1985 § 2-20; Ord. No. 13 § 2, 11-17-1937]
The Mayor may call the Council to
meet in special meetings when, in his/her judgment, it is proper and
necessary, at which meetings no other business shall be transacted
other than that mentioned in the call, unless two-thirds (2/3) of
the Council consent to the transaction of other business.
[CC 1985 § 2-23; Ord. No. 11, 11-17-1937; Ord. No. 1020, 2-6-2012]
At the regular meetings of the Council
at the hour fixed for meetings, should a quorum be present, the Council
shall proceed unless otherwise ordered, with the regular order of
business as set by the City Council.
[CC 1985 § 2-24; Ord. No. 11 § 1, 11-17-1937]
A quorum for the transaction of business
shall consist of a majority of all the members of the City Council.
[CC 1985 § 2-25; Ord. No. 11 § 1, 11-17-1937]
The council in its deliberations
shall be governed by “Robert’s Rules of Order,”
as amended from time to time.
[CC 1985 § 2-26; Ord. No. 11 § 1, 11-17-1937]
The council may temporarily, for
passage of ordinances or transaction of other business, by a vote
of two-thirds (2/3) of the members present, suspend any of the rules
and regulations governing in the transaction of business, provided
the action taken under such suspension be not in conflict with the
Statutes of the State of Missouri concerning cities of the Third Class.
