Grass Valley Municipal Code Art. VI The Council, Powers and Duties

The council shall hold regular monthly meetings at times fixed by ordinance or resolution. It may adjourn any regular or adjourned meeting to a date specified in the order of adjournment. When so adjourned, the adjourned meeting is a regular meeting for all purposes.

Meetings of the council shall be held at a place designated by ordinance, resolution, or order of the council. Meetings of the council shall be held in compliance with the Ralph M. Brown Act, California Government Code § 54950 et seq.

A majority of the council constitutes a quorum for transaction of business. Less than a majority may adjourn from time to time and compel attendance of absent members in the manner and under the penalties prescribed by ordinance or resolution. No act of the council, however, shall be valid unless a majority of a quorum concurs; provided, however, that any action to approve or amend the budget or otherwise to authorize an expenditure of money shall require three affirmative votes.

(a) Election by Council. The council shall, at its first regular meeting in December succeeding its election, elect from its members an officer of the city to have the title of mayor, who shall preside at meetings of the council and shall be recognized as head of the city government for all ceremonial purposes but shall have no regular administrative duties. The council shall also elect a vice mayor who shall act as mayor during the absence or disability of the mayor, and, if a vacancy shall occur, shall become mayor for the completion of the unexpired term. The mayor and the vice mayor shall be elected for the term of two (2) years.

(b) Powers and Duties. The mayor shall be the representative of the city. In the name and on behalf of the city he or she shall sign all legal instruments and documents to which the city is a party except where otherwise provided herein or by general law, ordinance or resolution, minute action, or order of the council.

The mayor may make or second any motion and may vote, present and discuss any matter as a member of the council.

The city council is judge of the qualifications of its members and of election returns. It shall determine contested city elections.

The council shall determine its own rules of procedure, and may punish its members or other persons present at any meeting for disorderly conduct.

The council shall cause a correct record of its proceedings to be kept. The votes shall be recorded and entered therein.

(a) Any member of the council who is absent from all regular council meetings for sixty (60) days consecutively without permission of the council, shall forfeit his or her office.

(b) Any vacancy occurring in the council shall be filled by a person appointed by a majority vote of the council except that a vacancy shall be filled by election if:

a. the council shall so determine,

b. the council shall fail to make an appointment within 60 days of its occurrence, or

c. an appointment would result in a majority of councilmembers having been appointed rather than elected to office; an appointment following the cancellation of an election due to insufficient qualified candidates shall not constitute an appointment for this purpose.

(c) An appointee shall serve during the unexpired term and until a successor is elected and qualified.

(d) If, for any reason the seats of a majority of the council shall become vacant, the city clerk shall call a special election to fill the vacancies for the unexpired portions of the term, which election shall be conducted as hereinafter provided for at the general municipal election.

The council may determine the annual compensation of the mayor, vice mayor and the councilmembers by ordinance, but no ordinance increasing such compensation shall become effective until the commencement of the terms of councilmembers elected at the next regular election. Compensation for councilmembers shall be no greater than the maximum amount and as may be from time to time changed in accordance with the provisions of the Government Code relating to compensation of councilmembers in general law cities of comparable size.

The mayor, vice mayor and councilmembers shall receive their actual and necessary expenses incurred in performance of their duties of office.

The council shall act in legislative matters by ordinance or resolution only. Other action of the council, unless herein otherwise provided, may be taken by resolution, motion, or order.