Leader Herald Staff Report
The city council can play quite a razor thin game when it comes to who serves and who doesn’t, who is removed and who remains, according to the City Charter, a reading of it reveals.
This is written in Section 2.6 of the City Charter.
In other words, the council could make the case, if it collectively so wished, to determine that a councilor no longer has the qualifications to be on the council.
It can do so for the mayor under the same exact circumstances.
In the unlikely circumstance of the mayor being the focal point of an FBI investigation into municipal corruption, he could be removed by the council if the council decided the mayor was no longer fit to serve in the office because of the scope of the investigation and the serious effects it would have on his ability to lead.
In the event this happened, a mayor pro tempore is appointed from the Council.
It does specify that while a pro temper mayor sits in the corner office, the administrative assistant to the mayor cannot be removed without the consent of the council.
In addition, a council member shall forfeit office if he or she fails to attend three consecutive regular meetings of the council without being excused by the council.
Last week, when Councilor Fred Capone was ill and could not attend the council meeting, he informed his colleagues with a written notice asking them to be excused, thus acting in concert with the charter.
Had he not asked and missed two additional meetings without asking and or informing his colleagues, he could be removed from office.