San Bernardino Municipal Code Ch. 2.01 Mayor Pro Tempore

(A) City Charter, § 302 identifies the position of mayor pro tempore. At the first regularly scheduled meeting of the City Council following the effective date of the ordinance incorporated in this chapter, the City Council shall elect a Council member to serve as Mayor Pro Tempore. At the second regularly scheduled meeting of the City Council in December of each year, the City Council shall elect a Council member to serve as Mayor Pro Tempore.

(B) If the Mayor Pro Tempore is absent or otherwise unavailable to serve in such capacity, the Council member present in the city with the most consecutive days of service as a member of the City Council shall serve as the Mayor Pro Tempore for that period of absence or unavailability only. “Consecutive days of service” shall be calculated by counting backward in time starting from the day on which the calculation is being made.

(C) In the event that there are two or more Council members with the exact same number of consecutive days of service as a member of the City Council, the temporary filling of the position of Mayor Pro Tempore shall be determined by lot, pursuant to the general procedure established in the Cal. Elections Code, § 15651, specifically by flipping a coin in the case of two members with the exact same number of consecutive days of service as a member of the City Council, or the drawing of straws in the case of three or more members with the exact same number of consecutive days of service as a member of the City Council. The City Clerk shall be responsible for conducting the coin toss or conducting the drawing of straws whenever either event is required by this section.

(D) The Council Member holding the position of Mayor Pro Tempore shall continue to hold said position until his or her successor is elected by the City Council or until said Council member is no longer a member of the City Council, whichever occurs first.

(E) Pursuant to City Charter, § 302, in the absence of the Mayor from any Council meeting, the Mayor Pro Tempore shall preside over that Council meeting.

(F) In addition, at all other times that the Mayor is temporarily unable to perform the duties of his or her office, the Mayor Pro Tempore shall have all powers and authority that the Mayor would have possessed if present to perform his or her duties. However, the Mayor Pro Tempore may not cast an additional vote in the event of a tie or exercise veto powers over City Council action, but may continue to exercise his or her vote as a Council member.

(Ord. MC-1267, passed 4-8-2008; Ord. MC-1289, passed 11-4-2008; Ord. MC-1441, passed 4-3-2017)