The governing body shall consist of a mayor and eight council members to be elected to terms as set out in chapter 6 of this code. The mayor and council members shall be residents and qualified electors of the City of Iola, Kansas.

(C.O. No. 21; Code 2018)

All powers exercised by cities of the second class or which shall hereafter be conferred upon them shall be exercised by the governing body, subject to such limitations as prescribed by law. All executive and administrative authority granted or limited by law shall be vested in the mayor and council as governing body of the city.

(K.S.A. 12-103; Code 2018)

(a)   Regular meetings of the governing body shall be held on the second and fourth Mondays of each month at 6:00 p.m. in the Riverside Park Community Building, 510 Park Avenue, or at such other place as deemed appropriate by the council. When such meeting day shall be on a legal holiday (or any other day observed as a holiday by city officers), the governing body may fix any succeeding day as a regular meeting day.

(b)   Special meetings may be called by the mayor or acting mayor on the written request of any three members of the council, specifying the object and purpose of the meeting and entered at length in the journal.

(K.S.A. 14-111; K.S.A. 25-2120; Code 1988, § 1-108; Ord. 3390, § 1, 11-30-10; Ord. 3391, § 1, 12-14-10; Ord. 3394, § 1, 5-2-11; Code 2016, Sec. 2-31)

At all meetings of the governing body, a majority of the councilmembers-elect shall constitute a quorum to do business.

(K.S.A. 14-111; Code 2018)

The mayor shall preside at all meetings of the governing body. The mayor shall have the tie-breaking vote on all questions when the members present are equally divided. The mayor shall:

(a)   serve without compensation;

(b)   have no veto power;

(c)   preside over council meetings;

(d)   will have the authority to vote in all instances where there is a tie vote of the council;

(e)   make recommendations for all appointments to city positions and committees to be approved by the council; and

(f)    such other powers as the council may grant to the mayor from time to time.

(K.S.A. 14-301; C.O. No. 21; Code 2018)

The city council shall elect one of its own body as president of the council. The president of the council shall preside at all meetings of the council in the absence of the mayor. In the absence of both the mayor and the president of the council, the council shall elect one of its members as “acting president of the council.” The president and acting president, when occupying the place of mayor, shall have the same privileges as other councilmembers.

(K.S.A. 14-204; C.O. No. 21; Code 2018)

(a)   If any council member shall move from the ward from which he or she was elected or appointed, his or her offices as council member shall thereby become vacated immediately. Whenever a vacancy shall occur in the office of council member, the governing body shall appoint an elector of the ward where the vacancy occurs to be council member for the balance of the unexpired term.

(b)   In case of a vacancy in the office of mayor, the president of the council shall become mayor until the next regular election for that office and a vacancy shall occur in the office of the council member becoming mayor.

(K.S.A. 12-104a; K.S.A. 14-204; K.S.A. 14-308; C.O. No. 21; Code 2018)

(a)   In the event of a catastrophe in which a majority of the members of the governing body are fatally injured or incapacitated, an interim governing body shall be composed of the surviving member, the city clerk and the city attorney. If all members of the governing body are fatally injured, the governing body would be composed of the city clerk, the city attorney and the city administrator.

(b)   Nonelected members of the interim governing body shall continue to hold office until a successor is appointed or elected and qualified as provided by law, or the lawful incumbent is able to assume and discharge the duties of office.

(K.S.A. 48-1206; Code 1988, § 1-207; Code 2016, Sec. 2-32)