RULE 4 - DUTIES OF THE PRESIDENT  


Latest version.
  • 1.

    The President of the City Council shall take the chair at the hour fixed, or to which the Council has adjourned or been called together, call the members to order, cause the roll to be called, and on the appearance of a quorum, proceed to business.

    The President shall preserve order and decorum. He may speak to points of order in preference to other members and shall decide all questions of order, subject to an appeal to the Council on the motion of any member.

    The President may express his opinion on any subject under debate only by leaving the chair and in such case he shall not resume the chair while the question is pending, provided the same is taken previous to adjournment. The presiding officer, however, may state facts and give opinions on questions of order without leaving his place.

    When a matter is initially introduced to the Council, it shall be immediately referred by the Council President to the appropriate committee.

    Resolutions submitted by Councillors at a regular Council meeting shall be referred to the committee, which, in the opinion of the Council President, has proper jurisdiction over the subject matter.

    The President shall appoint all standing and special committees of the City Council.

    (a)

    The President shall be an "ex-officio" member of all standing and special committees of the City Council as established pursuant to the Rules of the Lawrence City Council. As an "ex-officio" member of any such standing or special committee, the President shall possess all authority and privileges of any member of any and all standing and special committee member, including, without limitation, the right to deliberate and vote on any item before said standing and special committee for consideration except the President shall serve upon any standing or special committee of the City Council in accord with the provisions of Rule 6 herein. The provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to the Committee of the Whole at any time and the Council President shall be a member of any and all Committee of the Whole in accord with the provisions of all other effective Rules of the City Council.

(Doc. 52/2015, appr./eff. 6-2-15)