The chief executive officer of the City shall be a Mayor who
shall be elected by the qualified voters of the City, and shall hold
his office for one year, and until his successor shall be elected
and qualified. No person shall be eligible to the office of Mayor
who shall not be a citizen of the United States, a resident of the
City one year, next preceding his election, and over the age of 21
years; and if any Mayor shall, during the time for which he shall
have been elected, remove from the City, or be absent therefrom more
than two months at any one time, his office shall become thereby vacated.
When two or more persons shall have an equal number of votes
for Mayor, the judges of the election shall certify the same to the
City Council, who shall proceed to determine the same by lot, in such
manner as may be provided by ordinance. Whenever an election shall
be contested for Mayor, the City Council shall determine the same
in such manner as may be prescribed by ordinance; and whenever any
vacancy shall happen in the office of Mayor it shall be filled by
election; and until such election shall be had it shall be competent
for the Board of Aldermen to elect one of their number president,
who shall be Mayor pro tem. In case of the sickness of the Mayor,
or of his absence from the City, for a less period than two months,
said City Council may elect one of the Aldermen Mayor pro tem., who
shall possess all the authority, and perform all the duties of the
office of Mayor during such sickness or temporary absence of the Mayor.
