No person shall be an Alderman unless
he/she be at least eighteen (18) 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.
No person shall be Mayor unless he/she
be at least twenty-five (25) years of age, a citizen of the United
States, and a resident of the City at the time of and for at least
one (1) year next preceding his/her election.
The Board of Aldermen shall elect
one (1) of its own number who shall be styled "Acting President of
the Board of Aldermen" and who shall serve for a term of one (1) year.
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 be filled
or such disability be removed; or, in case of temporary absence, until
the Mayor's return.
The Mayor and Board of Aldermen of
each City governed by this Chapter 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 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.
A. The style of the ordinances of the City
shall be "Be it ordained by the Board of Aldermen of the City of Mount
Vernon, 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. The provisions of this Section shall not
apply to ordinances proposed or passed under Section 79.135, RSMo.
Every bill duly passed by the Board
of Aldermen and presented to the Mayor and by him/her approved shall
become an ordinance, and every bill presented as aforesaid, but returned
with the Mayor's objections thereto, shall stand reconsidered. The
Board of Aldermen 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 vote
on this question shall be taken by "ayes" 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 City Clerk 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 Board of Aldermen; 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 Board of Aldermen,
the same shall become a law without his/her signature.
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 two (2) members.
The Board of Aldermen may prescribe and enforce such rules as it may
find necessary for the expeditious transaction of its business.
[R.O. 2004 § 110.100; Ord. No. 1.273 § 1, 1-27-2015]
The Board of Aldermen shall semiannually
each year make out and spread upon their records a full and detailed
account and statement of the receipts and expenses and indebtedness
of the City for the half year ending with the last day of the month
immediately proceeding the date of such report, which account and
statement shall be published in some newspaper in the City. The financial
statement for the half year ending June 30 shall be published on or
before August 31, and the financial statement for the half year ending
December 31 shall be published on or before February 28.
In the event the financial statement of the City is not published as required by Section
110.100, the Treasurer of the City shall not pay out any money of the City on any warrant or order of the Board of Aldermen after the end of the month in which such financial statement should have been published until such time as such financial statement is published. Any Treasurer violating the provisions of this Section shall be deemed guilty of an ordinance violation.
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.
The Mayor shall sign the commissions
and appointments of all City Officers elected or appointed in the
City and shall approve all official bonds unless otherwise prescribed
by ordinance.
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, from time to time,
communicate to the Board of Aldermen 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 have power to remit
fines and forfeitures and to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses
arising under the 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 said City by reason of any prosecution
under the laws or ordinances of such City.
The Board of Aldermen of the City
of Mount Vernon, Missouri, shall meet in regular session in the City
Hall at 7:00 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month.
Special meetings may be called by the Mayor or by any three (3) members of the Board of Aldermen by written request filed with the City Clerk who shall thereupon prepare a notice of such special meeting in conformance with Chapter
120, Open Meetings and Records Policy, of this Code.
At the hour appointed, the Mayor,
or in his/her absence the Acting President of the Board of Aldermen,
shall call the Board of Aldermen to order, and the Clerk shall call
the roll of members and announce whether or not a quorum is present.
Five (5) members of the Board of Aldermen shall constitute a quorum.
If a quorum not be present, a smaller number may lawfully adjourn
the meeting from day to day until a quorum is present.
[R.O. 2004 § 110.200; Ord. No. 1.253 § 1, 7-13-2010]
A. The Board, in its deliberations, shall
be governed by Robert's Rules of Order.
B. The Board has adopted, and may amend from
time to time, rules for public participation at Board meetings, including
time limits on public comments and addition of items to the agenda.
A copy of said rules shall be available for inspection by the public
at City Hall during normal business hours.