Gilroy Municipal Code Art. V The Mayor

It is the intent of this Article that the Mayor shall be the political leader within the community and the Council to facilitate the determination, expression and interpretation of City policies and programs and to assist the Council in the informed, vigorous and effective exercise of its powers of decision. Political leadership shall be concerned with the general development of the community and the general level of City services and activity programs.

The Mayor shall be recognized as the official head of the City for all political, representative and ceremonial purposes, by the courts for the purposes of serving civil processes, and by the Governor for military purposes. In time of public danger or emergency, he may direct the administration of the City government through the City Administrator.

The Mayor shall be charged with the duty of making recommendations to the Council on all matters of policy and program which require Council decision, provided, that if he recommends any increases in the City budget, he shall recommend the method of financing such expenditures; and provided further, that if he proposes curtailments of services, such recommendations and his reasons therefore shall be specific. The Mayor shall have the primary, but not exclusive, responsibility for interpreting the policies, programs and needs of the City government to the community. He may also, on his own account, inform the community on any matters of policy or program which he believes the welfare of the community makes necessary.

It shall be the duty of the Mayor to represent the Council in its relationships with civic groups within the City, and by direction of the Council, he shall represent the City in its relationships with other governmental agencies on matters of policy and program.

The Mayor shall preside at meetings of the Council and shall have a vote as a member of the Council. He shall have no power to veto any ordinance or resolution adopted by the Council.

The Mayor shall have authority to preserve order at all Council meetings and to remove or cause the removal of any person from any meeting of the Council for disorderly conduct, to enforce the rules of the Council, and to determine the order of business under the rules of the Council.

The Mayor shall exercise such other powers and perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the Council, not inconsistent with this Charter.

Nothing in this Section shall be construed in any way as an infringement or limitation on the powers and duties of the City Administrator as chief administrative officer and head of the administrative branch of the City government as prescribed in other sections of this Charter. The Mayor shall possess only such authority over the City Administrator and the administrative branch as he possesses as one member of the Council.

At the first meeting of the Council following the election or appointment of a member to the Council, the Council shall elect one of its members as Mayor Pro Tempore who shall act as Mayor during the absence or inability of the Mayor to act. In the case of the temporary absence or disability of both the Mayor and the Mayor Pro Tempore, the Council shall elect one of its members to act as Mayor Pro Tempore.

If a vacancy occurs in the office of Mayor, the Council shall forthwith appoint a member of the Council to fill such vacancy who shall serve until the next municipal election, when a Mayor shall be elected to serve for the unexpired term or the succeeding term as the case may be.