| CHAPTER 2—COUNCIL POWERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES |
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| 2.1 | City Council Generally |
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| | 2.1.1 | The City Council has the power, in the name of the City, to do and perform all acts and things appropriate to a municipal corporation and the general welfare of its inhabitants, which are not specifically prohibited by the constitution, the City Charter or State or Federal laws. |
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| | 2.1.2 | The Council acts as a body. Policy is established by majority vote. A decision of the majority binds the Council to a course of action. The Council majority may be a majority of the quorum of the Council. |
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| | 2.1.3 | No Councilmember has extraordinary powers beyond those of other members (except as may otherwise be provided in State law). All members, including the Mayor, have equal powers. |
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| | 2.1.4 | No member of the Council is permitted to hold any other City office or City employment (except as may otherwise be provided in the City Charter). |
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| | 2.1.5 | Councilmembers also serve as members of the Mountain View Capital Improvements Financing Authority, Mountain View Revitalization Authority and Mountain View Shoreline Regional Park Community. |
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| 2.2 | Mayor and Vice Mayor-Appointment, Power and Duties |
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| | 2.2.1 | The selection of the Mayor and Vice Mayor occurs annually at the first Council meeting in January by majority vote of the City Council. City Council Policy A-6, Election of Mayor and Vice Mayor, sets forth nonbinding guidelines for the selection of the Mayor and Vice Mayor. |
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| | 2.2.2 | The Mayor is the presiding officer of the City Council. In the Mayor's absence, the Vice Mayor shall perform the duties of the Mayor. |
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| | 2.2.3 | The Mayor is the official head of the City for all ceremonial purposes. |
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| | 2.2.4 | The Mayor may perform such other duties consistent with the mayoral office as may be prescribed by the City Charter or as may be imposed by the Council. |
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| | 2.2.5 | The Mayor does not possess any power of veto. |
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| | 2.2.6 | The Mayor, or Council designee, coordinates with the City Manager in the development of agendas for meetings of the City Council. Once the agenda is published, the City Manager may withdraw an item; however, only the City Council may otherwise alter the agenda. |
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| | 2.2.7 | The Mayor and Vice Mayor serve at the pleasure of the Council and can be replaced at any time by a majority vote of the Council. |
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| 2.3 | Council Actions |
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| | 2.3.1 | Legislative actions by the City Council can be taken by means of ordinance, resolution or minute action duly made and passed by the majority (unless otherwise provided). |
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| | 2.3.2 | Public actions of the Council are recorded in the minutes of the City Council meeting. The City Clerk is required to make a record only of business actually passed upon by a vote of the Council and is not required to record any remarks of Councilmembers or of any other person, except at the special request of a Councilmember, with the consent of the Council. |
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| | 2.3.3 | Actions of the Council concerning confidential property, personnel and/or legal matters of the City are to be reported consistent with State law. |
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| 2.4 | Council Committees (Refer to City Council Policy A-13, City Council Meetings, Section 16) |
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| | 2.4.1 | The City Council may organize itself into standing and/or special/ad hoc committees of the Council to facilitate Council review and action regarding certain matters referred to them by the City Council. |
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| | 2.4.2 | All work undertaken by a committee must originate with the Council and all actions of a Council committee shall be reported to the Council. |
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| | 2.4.3 | The Council may create standing committees at any time by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Council. |
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| | 2.4.4 | The Mayor annually appoints members to standing committees. |
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| | 2.4.5 | Special or ad hoc committees may be created by the Mayor or a majority vote of the Council. The Mayor appoints the members. |
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| | 2.4.6 | The Council may create or dissolve special or ad hoc committees and can control membership on all committees. |
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| | 2.4.7 | If permitted by the Ralph M. Brown Act, other members of the Council not assigned to a Council committee may attend meetings of a committee, as an observer, however, they shall be seated with the audience and may not participate in any manner or address the committee. |
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| | 2.4.8 | If an absence is anticipated on a committee and that absence may impede the work of the committee, the committee chair or other member may request that the Mayor designate another member of the Council to attend for the absent member and serve as an alternate member of the committee, provided that the member's attendance, in the opinion of the City Attorney, will comply with the Brown Act. The term for service by the alternate member will be the term designated in the appointment, or for one meeting, if no term is specified. |
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| 2.5 | Establishment and Appointment of Boards, Commissions and Committees (Refer to Mountain View City Charter, Article IX) |
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| | 2.5.1 | The City Council may organize itself into standing and/or special/ad hoc committees of the Council to facilitate Council review and action regarding certain matters referred to them by the City Council. |
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