Richmond Municipal Code Ch. 2.12 Meetings of City Council

Pursuant to Section 6 of Article III of the Charter of the City of Richmond, four members of the City Council shall be necessary to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Any item of business voted upon by the City Council shall be deemed to have been adopted only where at least four votes are cast in favor of the item, except in the case of a proposed commendation and in those cases where the City Charter, a City ordinance or other law requires a greater number of favorable votes to adopt such item. In the case of a proposed commendation, if more than one-half of the votes that are actually cast by the Councilmembers are in favor of the proposal, it shall be deemed to have been adopted. In counting the votes cast on an item of business, each abstention registered by a Councilmember shall be deemed to be neither a "yes" vote nor a "no" vote.

(Amended by Ordinance No. 18-94 N.S.)

(Ord. No. 14-12 N.S., § I, 11-20-2012)

(a) By Councilmember. While the City Council is in session, a Councilmember must preserve order and decorum. No Councilmember shall by conversation or otherwise delay or interrupt the proceedings or the peace of the City Council, disturb any Councilmember while speaking, or refuse to obey the Mayor.

(b) Other persons. Any person who addresses the City Council shall confine his remarks to the matter which is then before the City Council, avoiding indecorous language. Any person who fails to confine himself or herself to the business before the City Council, who becomes boisterous while addressing the Council, who delays or interrupts the proceedings or peace of the City Council, who refuses to obey the Mayor shall be barred from further addressing the City Council at the same meeting unless permission to continue is granted by a majority of the City Council.

(Amended by Ordinance No. 18-94 N.S.)

The Chief of Police shall be ex officio sergeant- at-arms of the City Council. He shall carry out all orders and instructions given him by the Mayor for the purpose of maintaining order and decorum in the Council chamber. Any person in the audience who uses loud, boisterous or profane language at a City Council meeting, or any person who interrupts the proceedings of the Council or who refuses to maintain silence or to take a seat when ordered to do so by the Mayor, or any person who by any other action willfully disturbs or disrupts the proceedings of the Council shall, upon order of the Mayor, be removed from the Council chamber by any police officer present.

(Amended by Ordinance No. 18-94 N.S.)