The board of commissioners shall be the legislative body of
the city government, and all legislative power of the city is vested
therein, excepting the legislative power herein reserved to the inhabitants
of the city under the initiative and referendum.
The board of commissioners elected and provided for herein,
shall hold regular meetings at least once a month at the City Hall,
on a day and hour to be named by ordinance, and shall hold such special
meetings as may be deemed necessary for the transaction of business.
All meetings of the board of commissioners shall be public (except
they may, if deemed necessary, go into executive session), and a complete
record of the proceedings shall be kept. The city clerk shall be clerk
of said board of commissioners. At 10:00 a.m., on the first Monday
of May following the canvass of the general municipal election, the
board of commissioners shall meet, at which time, the newly elected
members of the board shall assume the duties of their office; provided,
that the first meeting of the first board of commissioners elected
under this Charter shall be as provided for in Article Fifteen, Section
1, of this Charter. A majority of all members of the board shall constitute
a quorum to transact business, but a less number may adjourn from
day to day until the next regular meeting, and may compel the attendance
of absent members in such manner as the board may by ordinance or
resolution provide, and determine its own rules of procedure.
The city clerk shall be present at the meetings of the board,
and shall keep a journal of the proceedings under its direction, and
the ayes and nays shall be taken and entered on the journal in the
final action, upon all matters coming before said board.
The board of commissioners shall be the judges of the election
and qualification of its members. The board of commissioners herein
provided for, shall, immediately after their election and qualification,
elect one of said commissioners as chairman, and one as vice-chairman,
who, in the absence of said chairman, or his refusal or inability
to fulfill the duties required of him, shall be vested with all the
powers and authority of the chairman of the board of commissioners,
and provided that in the absence of both chairman and vice-chairman,
the board of commissioners may designate one of their number to act
as chairman during their absence. The term for which a chairman or
vice-chairman shall be elected shall be one (1) year, or until their
successor is elected and qualified.
The board of commissioners shall, except as otherwise herein
provided, prescribe for any officer, agent or employee appointed by
it, other duties than those herein prescribed, not inconsistent with
the provisions of this Charter.
The board of commissioners shall provide for, and maintain necessary
rooms for officers, agents and employees of the city for the transaction
of the business of the city.
The legislative acts of the board of commissioners shall be
by ordinance or resolution, the subject of which shall be clearly
set out in its title, and no ordinance or resolution shall contain
more than one subject, provided that if any subject be embraced in
any ordinance or resolution contrary to the provisions of the section,
such ordinance or resolution shall be void only as to so much of the
ordinance or resolution as may not be expressed in the title thereof.
The enacting clause of every ordinance shall be "Be it ordained by
the City of Cushing." Every member of the board of commissioners,
when present, shall vote unless disqualified, and every ordinance
shall require on its final passage, the affirmative vote of a majority
of the membership of said board.
All ordinances passed by the board of commissioners, except
emergency ordinances, shall take effect and become valid at the end
of fifteen (15) days from the date of the publication of such ordinances.
All ordinances finally adopted shall be published either in a daily
or weekly newspaper published, and of general circulation in the City
of Cushing, such publication to be within fifteen (15) days from the
final passage of the ordinance.
The board of commissioners, by a vote of two-thirds of its membership,
may pass any emergency ordinances when the public safety of the city,
or the inhabitants thereof, shall, in the judgment of the board of
commissioners, demand it; and every ordinance which shall, in a separate
section declare that an emergency exists, by reason whereof the said
ordinance shall immediately become effective, shall take effect at
once upon its final passage and publication.
Every ordinance, order, or resolution which shall have been
passed by the board of commissioners shall be signed by the chairman
of the board and attested by the city clerk.
Every ordinance, after its passage, shall be recorded in a book
to be called "Ordinance Record" and likewise, every resolution shall
be recorded in a book called "Resolution Record" kept for that purpose,
which records of such ordinances and resolutions shall be authenticated
by the signature of the chairman of the board.
The board of commissioners shall be vested with the power, and
charged with the duty of adoption of all laws, resolutions and ordinances,
and to carry into effect all powers of the municipality, not inconsistent
with the Constitution and general laws of the State of Oklahoma, touching
every object, matter or subject within the provisions of the local
government, instituted by this Charter, whether the same may be specifically
mentioned in this Charter, or omitted therefrom.
The board of commissioners shall have power to amend or repeal
any ordinances or resolutions which may have been adopted, whenever
in their opinion, such amendment or repeal shall be for the best interests
of the city, provided, that no ordinance or amendment to an ordinance
that may have been created or amended by an initiative or referendum
vote of the electors of the city, shall ever be changed except by
resubmission of the question to such initiative or referendum vote.
Special meetings of the board of commissions may be called by
the chairman or by three (3) commissioners, at any time, on such notice
as the board of commissioners may prescribe by ordinance. The purpose
of such meetings shall be set forth in such call, and no other business
shall be transacted at such meeting.
[Amended 12-9-2008]
In the event of a vacancy or vacancies in the board of commissioners,
such vacancy or vacancies shall be filled by a majority vote of the
remaining members of said board, within sixty (60) days from said
vacancy as provide by Section 9 Article Two of this Charter.
The board of commissioners shall, by ordinance or resolution,
fix the amount of compensation for all officers and employees of the
City of Cushing, who are employed on stated salaries, except as otherwise
provided herein.
