Deputy Mayor Policy

Stewiacke, Nova Scotia

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Policy: Deputy Mayor Policy Date Originally Approved: September 27, 2001 Proposed amendment presented: February 14, 2002 Date presented for Councils Approval: February 28, 2002 Proposed amendment presented: November 13th 2003 Date presented for Councils Approval: November 27th 2003 Motion: "" That Council approve the amended Deputy Mayor Policy 2001 - 11, effective November 27th, 2003, as recommended." This Policy is current as of: November 27th 2003 November 13th 2003 amendment: In section 3 Delete "As in accordance with By-law 2000 - 05 of the Town of Stewiacke." TOWN OF STEWIACKE DEPUTY MAYOR POLICY Policy # 2001 - 11 Policy It is the policy of Council to, each year, select a Deputy Mayor to serve for a one-year term. Definition In this policy "majority" means a majority of Council Members who are present at the meeting. Procedures 1. At the first regular Council Session following: (1) a general municipal election (2) the expiry of the term of a previous Deputy Mayor (3) Council receiving notice of the resignation of a Deputy Mayor (4) the Deputy Mayor's removal from office in accordance with this Policy; or (5) the office of the deputy Mayor otherwise becoming vacant, Council shall select from among its members, a Deputy Mayor, in accordance with the process and rules set out in this Policy. 2. The selection process for the office of Deputy Mayor shall be as follows: (1) The Mayor or, in the absence of the Mayor, the CAO shall preside as Chair during the Deputy Mayor selection process. (2) After announcing that the agenda business item is to select a Deputy Mayor, the Chair shall call for nominations. All nominations and secondings shall be made openly and publicly, by raising of the hand to attract the attention of the Chair and announcing the nomination or seconding of a candidate when called upon. (3) A candidate may be nominated by any other Council member, including a Council member who is a nominator or seconder of a previously nominated candidate, or who is a previously nominated candidate. (4) The Chair shall ask if there is a seconder for the nomination. Any Council member except the nominator and the candidate may second the nomination. Failure to obtain a seconder shall result in the nominee's name not being included in the list of candidates to be voted upon. (5) Each nominee shall be asked if he or she consents to being nominated. If the nominee declines to give unconditional consent, the nominee's name shall not be included in the list of candidates to be voted upon. (6) The Chair shall repeatedly call for nominations until, after three successive times without a successful nomination, the Chair shall announce that nominations are closed. (7) When there is only one candidate, the Chair shall call for a motion to elect the Deputy Mayor, and the candidate shall be elected Deputy Mayor if the motion passes by majority vote. (8) When there is more than one candidate to be voted upon, the CAO shall prepare ballots with each candidate's name and shall distribute the ballots, one to each Council member. Before the voting occurs, Council may by resolution appoint a scrutineer to verify the vote and to assist the CAO in connection with the vote. (9) The Council members shall vote by placing a mark beside the candidate of their choice, and folding the ballot. A candidate may vote for himself or herself. (10) The ballots shall be collected and counted in a manner that preserves the confidentiality of each Council member's ballot. The CAO shall declare a ballot to be spoiled if the ballot does not disclose a clear preference in favour of any one candidate. (11) If, after any vote, the CAO determines that a majority has voted for any one candidate, Council may pass a motion authorizing the CAO to destroy the ballots. (12) If, after any vote, a majority has not voted for any one candidate, new ballots shall be prepared but the name of the candidate with the fewest number of votes on the previous vote shall be excluded from the new ballot. Voting shall continue in the same fashion until a Deputy Mayor is declared elected by the CAO. (13) In the event of a tie or deadlock, the Chair shall fairly use the following methods firstly, in an effort to have the voting process towards reducing the number of candidates to two, and secondly in an effort to elect a Deputy Mayor by a majority: a) If, with no candidate elected by majority, there is more than one candidate in a tie with the fewest votes, all candidates in the tie shall be excluded from the ballot unless their exclusion would result in less than two candidates reaming upon the ballot. b) The Chair shall ask if any candidate is prepared to withdraw his or her name from the next ballot. c) Where three or more candidates remain, and one candidate had more votes than the others, a run-off ballot may be carried out amongst the others to see which candidate should progress to a final vote. d) The Chair may call for individual motions to elect as Deputy Mayor one of the candidates, to determine whether a majority can be obtained in this fashion for any candidate, calling for such motions in a logical sequence beginning with candidates who attracted the greatest support on previous balloting, and otherwise using alphabetical order to determine the sequence in which the motions will be called for. e) After every reasonable effort by the Chair to find a candidate with majority support, the deadlock shall be broken by having the CAO place the names of the candidates on equal size pieces of paper in a box and having one name being drawn by a person chosen by the CAO. 3. The term of the office of the Deputy Mayor shall expire at the call to order of the regular Council Session in November or when the term of office of the Council expires following a general municipal election, whichever comes first 4. The Deputy Mayor may resign and may cease to be qualified to hold office in the same manner as stipulated in respect of Councillors in applicable legislation. 5. The Deputy Mayor may be removed from office, by Council, by a vote of two-thirds of the Council Members after 20 days notice in writing has been provided to the CAO and Council Members. Annotation's For Official Policy Book Date of Council members Review: November 13th 2003 Date of Passage of Current Policy: November 27th 2003 I certify that this Policy was adopted by Council as indicated above. _________________________ _____________________ CAO / Clerk Date