Richmond Municipal Code Art. III-A Charter

(added at election November 4, 1980)

The Mayor

Sec. 1. Elected Mayor. There shall be a Mayor of the City of Richmond who shall have the powers and duties and shall be elected by the voters in the manner set forth herein.

Sec. 2. Powers and Duties of the Mayor. The Mayor shall be a member of the City Council and shall have all of the powers and duties of a member of the Council unless otherwise specified herein. In addition, the Mayor shall have the following powers and duties:

(a) Political Position. The Mayor shall be the chief elected officer and ceremonial head of the City, responsible for providing civic leadership and taking issues to the people, and marshalling public interest in and support for municipal activity. The Mayor shall be concerned with the general development of the community and the general level of City services and activity programs and may develop and inform City residents of policies and programs which he or she believes are necessary for the welfare of the City.

(b) Policy, Program and Budget. The Mayor may make recommendations to the City Council on matters of policy and program which require Council decision and may propose ordinances and resolutions for Council consideration. The Mayor shall work with the City Manager in preparing an annual budget for submission to the City Council. The Mayor shall make an annual report to the City Council as to the conditions and affairs of the City.

(c) (As amended at election November 6, 1984 and November 2, 2004) Appointments and Removals. The Mayor shall have the authority at any regularly scheduled meeting of the City Council to make appointments to or removals from all City boards, commissions and committees with the concurrence of at least four (4) other members of the City Council.

(Added at the election November 2, 2004) Effective with the November 2008 election, the Mayor shall have the authority at any regularly scheduled meeting of the City Council to make appointments to or removals from all City boards, commissions and committees with the concurrence of at least three (3) other members of the City Council.

(d) Relationship with City Council. The Mayor shall be a voting member of and preside over meetings of the City Council. The Mayor shall annually appoint standing committees of the City Council; provided that the Mayor shall not be a member of such committees. Reports of the standing committees shall be made at regular City Council meetings or whenever the Mayor shall so require.

(e) (As amended at election November 2, 2004) Continuance Authority. The Mayor shall have the authority to continue any item being considered by the City Council at a Council meeting for up to two weeks. The Council may override an action taken by the Mayor to continue an item by the affirmative vote of five (5) members of the Council.

(Added at the election November 2, 2004) Effective with the November 2008 election, the Mayor shall have the authority to continue any item being considered by the City Council at a Council meeting for up to two weeks. The Council may override an action taken by the Mayor to continue an item by the affirmative vote of four members of the Council.

(f) Administrative Responsibility. The Mayor shall sign all contracts on behalf of the City which are acted upon and approved by the City Council unless otherwise delegated by the City Council to a City official or employee, and shall exercise such other powers and duties as provided in this charter and ordinances and resolutions of the City.

Sec. 3. Election of Mayor; Term of Office; Nomination.

(a) At the election scheduled to be held in this City in 1981 for the election of persons to fill four offices of City Councilmember to succeed the four members of the City Council whose terms expire, one of those offices shall be designated as the office of Mayor to be filled at such election and to be so filled at future elections every 4 years thereafter. The term of office of the Mayor shall be 4 years and shall commence on the second Monday following his or her election. No person may serve as Mayor for more than two full terms.

(b) The procedure for nomination of candidates for the office of Mayor shall be the same as for the nomination of candidates for the office of City Councilmember as set forth in the City Charter. A person shall be eligible to hold the office of Mayor if the person is an elector of this City and is a registered voter of this City at the time of the filing of the petition for nomination of the person as a candidate for the office of Mayor. If during a Mayor's term of office such person moves his or her place of residence outside of the limits of this City or ceases to be an elector of this City, such person's office shall immediately become vacant.

(c) A person may not, in connection with the same election, be a candidate for both the office of City Councilmember and the office of Mayor, and in any instance where a person happens to be nominated as a candidate for both of such offices concerning the same election, each nominating petition shall be null and void unless the candidate shall designate on a form provided by the City Clerk which office he shall be a candidate for and, upon making such designation, his or her name shall appear on the ballot as a candidate for the designated office if such form is filed with the City Clerk within the period set forth in this charter for the filing of a nominating petition for the office designated.

(d) The ballot at an election where the office of Mayor is to be filled shall designate the office, and the candidates therefor, separate and apart from the candidates for the office of City Councilmember.

(e) (Added at election November 4, 1986) On the first Tuesday following the first Monday of November, 1989, an election shall be held for the election of a Mayor to succeed the Mayor whose term expires. Thereafter, the election of a Mayor to succeed the Mayor whose term expires shall be held on the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November in every other odd-numbered year. The Mayor whose term expires in May, 1989, shall remain in office and his term shall not expire until after the November, 1989 election for Mayor and his successor has taken office.

(Added at the election November 5, 2002) Notwithstanding any other provision contained herein, the term of office of the Mayor shall commence on the second Tuesday in January following his or her election. The Mayor whose term would expire on the second Monday following an election shall remain in office and his or her term shall not expire until the second Tuesday after the election.

Sec. 4 Vice Mayor. The City Council shall elect from among its members a Vice Mayor. In the absence or disability of the Mayor, the Vice Mayor shall serve as the Mayor. The Vice Mayor shall also represent the Mayor upon his or her request. The Vice Mayor shall serve for a term of one year.

Sec. 5. Filling Vacancy in the Office of Mayor. If there is a vacancy in the office of Mayor, the Vice Mayor shall serve as the Mayor until a new Mayor is elected and takes office. A special election shall be called by the City Council and held to elect a new Mayor, to serve for the unexpired term of the former Mayor, within a period of 180 days from the date of the vacancy unless a regular election is scheduled to be held to elect a Mayor within 365 days from the date of the vacancy. If such special election is required to be held, the City Council may, by resolution, consolidate it with an election of this City or of any other public agency if the next election of this City or of the other public agency is to be held within 365 days from the date of the vacancy. Such special election shall be held in accordance with the applicable general laws of the State of California governing elections within municipalities unless otherwise provided by ordinance adopted by the City Council. For purposes of this section, a vacancy shall be deemed to exist if the Mayor, without the permission of the Council, absents himself from all regular City Council meetings for 30 days consecutively from the last regular meeting he attended.

Sec. 6 (As amended at election November 2, 2004) Compensation. The Mayor shall be paid a salary of Three Thousand Dollars ($3,000) per month. Said compensation may be increased by ordinance adopted by the affirmative vote of five (5) members of the City Council, not counting the Mayor. Such ordinance shall be subject to referendum. In addition, the Mayor shall be reimbursed for expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of his powers and duties. The Mayor shall not receive the salary payable to City Councilmembers.

(Added at the election November 2, 2004) Effective with the November 2008 election, the Mayor shall be paid a salary of Three Thousand Dollars ($3,000) per month. Said compensation may be increased by ordinance adopted by the affirmative vote of four (4) members of the City Council, not counting the Mayor. Such ordinance shall be subject to referendum. In addition, the Mayor shall be reimbursed for expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of his powers and duties. The Mayor shall not receive the salary payable to City Councilmembers.

Sec. 7. The provisions of this Article III-A shall prevail over any other provision or provisions of this Charter which may be inconsistent with the provisions of this Article III-A.