Article 1. Elected Officials

§1-101   Falls City Code   §1-109

Article 1. Elected Officials

§1-101    ELECTED OFFICIALS; ENUMERATED. The electors of the Municipality shall elect a Mayor at large and one (1) City Council member from each ward in each Municipal election year; Provided, that when and if voting by wards is suspended, four (4) Council members shall be elected at large in each election year.  A total of eight (8) Council members shall be electors of the Municipality and residents of the ward from which they were elected.  Terms of all elected officials shall commence at the first (1st) regular meeting in December of each election year. (Ref. 17-102 through 17-104, 17-107, 17-107.02 RS Neb.)

§1-102    ELECTED OFFICIALS; QUALIFICATIONS AND PROHIBITIONS.  Elected officials shall be residents and qualified electors of the City. Elected Officials shall not be employed by the Municipality.  (Ref. 17-103, 17-104, 17-107, 17-108.02 RS Neb.)  

§1-103    CITY MAYOR; SELECTION AND DUTIES

The Mayor of the Municipality shall have the general, and immediate control over all property, and officials, whether elected, or appointed, of the Municipality. The Mayor shall preside at all meetings of the City Council, and may vote when that vote shall be decisive and the Council is equally divided on any pending matter, legislation, or transaction and the Mayor shall, for the purpose of such vote, be deemed to be a member of the Council. The Mayor’s signature must appear on the Municipal Clerk's minutes of all meetings, and the Mayor must sign all resolutions which have been passed, and warrants for the payment of money when ordered by the City Council; Provided, any ordinance vetoed by the Mayor may be passed over the veto by a two-thirds(2/3) vote by the members of the City Council, but if the Mayor neglects or refuses to sign any ordinance, and returns it to the Council with the Mayor’s objections in writing at the next regular Council meeting, the same shall become a law without the Mayor’s signature. The Mayor shall from time to time communicate to the Council such information and recommendations as, in the Mayor’s opinion, may improve the Municipality. The Mayor may require at reasonable intervals any Municipal official to exhibit their accounts and make reports to the Council on any subject pertaining to their office. The Mayor shall have the power to remit fines or pardon any offense arising under the ordinances of the Municipality. The Mayor may remove at any time an appointed police officer of the Municipality. The Mayor’s territorial authority shall extend over all places within five (5) miles of the corporate limits of the Municipality for the enforcement of any health ordinance, and one-half (1/2) mile in all matters vested in the Mayor except taxation. The Mayor shall also have such other duties as the City Council may by resolution confer upon them, or in any other matters which the laws of the State of Nebraska repose in them. The Mayor shall be elected at the Municipal Election, and shall serve a four (4) year term of office. (Ref. 17-110 through 17-117 RS Neb.)(Ordinance 2020-104)

§1-104    CITY COUNCIL; ACTING PRESIDENT.  The City Council shall elect one (1) of its own body each year who shall be styled the President of the Council, and who shall preside at all meetings of the City Council in the absence of the Mayor. In the absence of the Mayor, and the President of the Council, the City Council shall elect one (1) of its own body to occupy his place temporarily, who shall be styled Acting President of the Council. Both the President of the Council and the Acting President of the Council, when occupying the position of the Mayor, shall have the same privileges as the other members of the City Council, and all acts of the President of the Council, or Acting President of the Council, while so acting, shall be as binding upon the City Council, and upon the Municipality as if done by the elected Mayor. (Ref. 17-148 RS Neb.)    

§1-105    CITY COUNCIL; SELECTION AND DUTIES.  The members of the City Council shall be elected and serve for a four (4) year term. The City Council shall be the legislative division of the Municipal Government, and shall perform such duties, and have such powers as may be authorized by law. The City Council shall maintain the peace, regulate business, protect the public health and safety, and assess such taxes and fees as are necessary and appropriate in the exercise of these functions. (Ref. 17-103, 17-104 RS Neb.)

§1-106    CITY COUNCIL; ORGANIZATION.  City Council members of this Municipality shall take office, and commence their duties on the first regular meeting in December following their election. The newly elected Council members who have qualified as prescribed by law, together with the members of the City Council holding over, shall assemble in a regular meeting at the hour and place hereinafter prescribed and perfect the reorganization of the City Council as herein provided, and all appointive offices in which the terms of incumbents are expired shall be filled by appointment.

After the said meeting has been called to order, the Municipal Clerk shall report to the City Council the names of all City Council members-elect who have qualified for their respective offices, and this report shall be spread upon the minutes of the meeting preceding the roll call. Each ward of the Municipality shall be represented by at least two (2) Council members. No person shall be eligible who is not at the time of his election an actual resident of the ward for which he is qualified and should any City Council member move from the ward from which he was elected, his office shall thereby become vacant. (Ref.  17-104 RS Neb.)    

§1-107    ELECTED OFFICIALS; VACANCY.  Vacancies in City elected offices shall be filled by the Mayor and Council for the balance of the unexpired term except as provided in this section.  Notice of a vacancy, except a vacancy resulting from the death of the incumbent, shall be in writing and presented to the Council at a regular or special meeting and shall appear as a part of the minutes of such meeting.    

The City Council shall at once give public notice of the vacancy by causing to be published in a newspaper of general circulation within the city or by posting in three (3) public places in the city the office vacated and the length of the unexpired term.  

The Mayor shall within four (4) weeks after the regular meeting at which such notice has been presented, or upon the death of the incumbent, call a special meeting of the City Council at which time the Mayor shall submit the name of a qualified elector to fill the vacancy for the balance of the unexpired term.   

No officer who is removed at a recall election or resigns after the initiation of the recall process shall be appointed to fill the vacancy resulting from his or her removal or the removal of any other member of the City Council during the remainder of his or her term of office.

Upon a majority vote of approval by the City Council the vacancy shall be filled. If a majority vote is not reached the nomination shall be rejected and the Mayor shall at the next regular meeting submit the name of another qualified elector. If the vote on the nominee fails to carry by majority vote, the Mayor shall continue at such meeting to submit the names of qualified electors and the City Council shall continue to vote upon such nominations until the vacancy is filled.   

The Mayor shall cast his or her vote only in case of a tie vote of the City Council. 

All City Council members shall cast a ballot for or against each nominee. 

The Mayor and Council may, in lieu of filling a vacancy in a City office as provided above in this section, call a special Municipal Election to fill such vacancy.   

If there are vacancies in the offices of a majority of the members of the City Council, there shall be a special Municipal Election conducted by the Secretary of State to fill such vacancies.  (Ref. 17-212, 32-4,152, 32-1406 RS Neb.)

§1-108    ELECTED OFFICIALS; MAYOR VACANCY.  Whenever a vacancy occurs in the office of Mayor, or in case of his disability or absence, the President of the Council shall exercise the office of Mayor for the unexpired term until such vacancy is filled or such disability is removed, or in case of temporary absence, until the Mayor returns.

When the successful candidate for Mayor shall be prevented from assuming office, the incumbent Mayor shall not be entitled to hold over the term, but such office shall automatically become vacant and the President of the Council shall exercise the office of Mayor until such vacancy is filled.

If the President of the Council shall for any cause assume the office of Mayor for the remainder of the unexpired term, there shall be a vacancy on the Council which shall be filled as provided in section 1-107.  (Ref. 17-107, 17-115 RS Neb.)

§1-109    ELECTED OFFICIALS; RESTRICTIONS ON OTHER EMPLOYMENT OR ELECTIVE OFFICE.  (1) The Mayor and members of the Council shall hold no other elective or appointive office or employment with the City.

(2)    For purposes of this section, (a) elective office means any office which has candidates nominated or elected at the time of a statewide primary election, any office which has candidates nominated at the time of a statewide primary election and elected at the time of a statewide general election, any office which has candidates elected at the time of a statewide general election, any office which has candidates nominated or elected at a city or village election, and any office created by an act of the Legislature which has candidates elected at an election and includes an office which is filled at an election held in conjunction with the annual meeting of a public body created by an act of the Legislature and (b) high elective office means a member of the Legislature, an elective office described in Article IV, section 1 or 20, or Article VII, Section 3 or 10, of the Constitution of Nebraska, or a county, city, or school district elective office.

(3)    No candidate for member of the Legislature or an elective office described in Article IV, section 1 or 20, or Article VII, section 3 or 10, of the Constitution of Nebraska shall be eligible to file as a candidate, to petition on the ballot as a candidate, to accept a nomination by a political party or by party convention, caucus, or committee to fill a vacancy, or to be a declared write-in candidate for more than one elective office to be filled at the same election except for the position of delegate to a county, state, or national political party convention.  No candidate for any other high elective office shall be eligible to file as a candidate, to petition on the ballot as a candidate, to accept a nomination by a political party or by party convention, caucus, or committee to fill a vacancy, or to be declared a write-in candidate for more that one high elective office to be filled at the same election.

(4)    Except as provided in subsection (5) or (7) of this section, no person shall be precluded from being elected or appointed to or holding an elective office for the reason that he or she has been elected or appointed to or holds another elective office.

(5)    No person serving as a member of the Legislature or in an elective office described in Article IV, section 1 or 20, or Article VII, section 3 or 10, of the Constitution of Nebraska shall simultaneously serve in any other elective office, except that such a person may simultaneously serve in another elective office which is filled at an election held in conjunction with the annual meeting of a public body.

(6)    Whenever an incumbent serving as of a member of the Legislature or in an elective office described in Article IV, section 1 or 20, or Article VII, section 3 or 10, of the Constitution of Nebraska assumes another elective office, except an elective office filled at an election held in conjunction with the annual meeting of a public body, the office first held by the incumbent shall be deemed vacant.

(7)    No person serving in a high elective office shall simultaneously serve in any other high elective office.

(8)   Notwithstanding subsections (5) through (7) of this section, any person holding more than one high elective office upon September 13, 1997, shall be entitled to serve the remainder of all terms for which he or she was elected or appointed.  (Ref. 17-108.02, 32-109, 32-603, 32-604 RS Neb.) (Ord. #99-105)