The governing body of the city shall consist of the mayor and four councilmembers, as provided by the laws of Kansas for Cities of the Second Class having the statutory Council-Manager plan of Government, to be elected as set out in chapter 6 of this code.

(a)   Effective December 31, 2023, the salary for each Councilmember shall be four thousand dollars ($4,000.00) per year, and the Mayor shall receive six thousand dollars ($6,000.00) per year.

(Prior Code 2016 §105.010; K.S.A. Ch. 12, Art. 10; Code 2021; Ord. 3211)

(a)   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 and insofar as they do not conflict with the provisions of the Statutes relating to the Council-Manager plan of Government.

(b)   No member of the Council shall directly interfere with the conduct of any department, except at the express direction of the Council at a regularly convened meeting.

(Prior Code 2016 §105.020; Prior Code 2016 §105.150; K.S.A. 12-1002; K.S.A. 12-103; Code 2021)

(a)   Regular meetings of the governing body shall be held on the second Tuesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. If the date of a regularly scheduled public meeting falls on a legal holiday, the date of the meeting can be changed by motion and vote of the Council.

(b)   Special meetings may be called by the Mayor or Acting Mayor, on the written request of any three (3) members of the Council, specifying the time, place, object and purpose of such meeting, which request shall be read at the meeting.

(c)   Regular or special meetings of the governing body may be adjourned for the completion of its business at such subsequent time and place as the governing body shall determine in its motion to adjourn.

(K.S.A. 14-111; K.S.A. 25-2120; Prior Code 2016 §105.120; Res. No. 2008-007; Ord. 3009; Ord. 3107; Ord. 3142; Code 2021)

In all cases, it shall require a majority of the Councilmembers elect to constitute a quorum to do business, but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day, and may compel the attendance of absent members in such manner and under such penalties as the Council by ordinance may have previously prescribed.

(K.S.A. 14-111; K.S.A. 25-2120; Prior Code 2016 §105.120; Res. No. 2008-007; Ord. 3009; Ord. 3107; Ord. 3142; Code 2021)

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)   Have the superintending control of all officers and affairs of the city;

(b)   Take care that the ordinances of the city are complied with;

(c)   Sign the commissions and appointments of all officers elected or appointed;

(d)   Endorse the approval of the governing body on all official bonds;

(e)   From time to time communicate to the city council such information and recommend such measures as he or she may deem advisable;

(f)   Have the power to approve or veto any ordinance as the laws of the state shall prescribe;

(g)   Sign all orders and drafts drawn upon the city treasury for money.

(Prior Code 2016 §105.100; Code 2021)

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; Prior Code 2016 §105.110; Code 2021)

(a)   All vacancies occurring in the office of City Councilmembers for the City of Paola, Kansas, whether such vacancies occur by reason of the removal of a Councilmember from his/her Ward or by his/her death, resignation, the failure of a Councilmember to qualify for office, or the disqualification of a Councilmember for the holding of such office shall be filled by an election held among the remaining members of the City Council of said City, and such election must be held at the next regular meeting of the Governing Body of said City or at a special meeting called therefor for the purpose of filling such vacancy or at an adjournment or continuance of such regular or special meeting and any successor in office elected by the Governing Body to fill such vacancy must be elected by a majority of the remaining Councilmembers of said City, and should the remaining Councilmembers of said City fail to elect a successor in office for the vacancy in office of Councilmembers after being polled three (3) times by the Mayor, or in his/her absence, the President of the Council of said City, then and in that event, the Mayor, or in his/her absence, the President of the Council, of said City, shall appoint a qualified person from the Ward in which said vacancy exists to fill such unexpired term, and in the event that any person so elected by the remaining members of the Council or appointed by the Mayor or President of the Council in the manner aforesaid, should refuse, fail or neglect to qualify for such office by taking or subscribing to his/her oath for a period of ten (10) days following such election or appointment, as the case may be, then and in the event, the Mayor of said City shall forthwith appoint another qualified person to fill such vacancy.

(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. 14-204; K.S.A. 14-308; Prior Code 2016 §105.050; C.O. No. 6; C.O. No. 20; Code 2021)

There is hereby incorporated by reference for the purpose of establishing a code of procedure for the conduct of city council meetings of the City of Paola, Kansas, that certain code known as the “Code of Procedure for Kansas Cities,” Fourth Edition (2017), prepared and published in book form by the League of Kansas Municipalities, Topeka, Kansas, save and except such articles, sections, parts or portions as are hereafter omitted, deleted, modified or changed. At least one copy of said Code of Procedure for Kansas Cities shall be marked or stamped “Official Copy as Incorporated by the Code of the City of Paola, Kansas,” with all sections or portions thereof intended to be omitted or changed clearly marked to show any such omission or change and to which shall be attached a copy of this section, and filed with the city clerk to be open to inspection and available to the public at all reasonable hours.

(Code 2021)