When a new council is elected and sworn in, it is time to elect a new mayor pro tempore.
Immediately following any general (regularly scheduled) municipal election, state law requires that council elect from its membership a mayor pro tempore for a term not to exceed two years.
The mayor pro tempore exercises the mayor’s authority in the case of an absence, disability or vacancy in office. The temporary service of the mayor pro tempore terminates upon the return of the mayor from absence or disability or the election of a successor when a vacancy in the office of the mayor occurs.
In the case of an extended vacancy, the mayor pro tempore may be entitled to receive the mayor’s salary, according to the state attorney general. However, the mayor pro tempore does not assume the office of the mayor. The mayor’s office remains vacant until filled by an election.
Councils that operate under a committee system often use the same cycle to elect or appoint councilmembers to standing committees. Such procedures are generally specified in the municipality’s local rules of procedure.
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