Spokane Municipal Code

Title 02 Council and Legislation

Chapter 02.005 Council President and City Council

Section 02.005.010 Council President and City Council

1. As provided in the City Charter a City Council President and six City Council Members constitute the City Council, which is the legislative body of the City. The City Council President and City Council Members have no administrative authority over personnel matters except the Council President and the Council Members:

1. 1. Appoint, evaluate and discharge the Hearing Examiner;

1. 2. appoint, evaluate, and discharge the City Council’s full-time staff, as provided in Section 02.005.030;

1. 3. appoint, evaluate, and discharge the City Council’s seasonal, project and interim staff, as provided in Section 02.005.030;

1. 4. approve the appointment by the Mayor of the City Attorney, the City Clerk, and the permanent, acting, or interim administrative head in each department and division; provided:

1. 1. 1. any person appointed for the position of department head on a permanent basis shall be placed on the city council agenda by the mayor within 30 days of the appointment and considered for approval pursuant to section 24 of the city charter;

1. 1. 2. persons appointed for the job positions of interim or acting department head shall serve as such for up to 180 days, which period can be extended for up to an additional 180 days by city council resolution;

1. 5. appoint nominees of the Mayor to boards, commissions, and other official City agencies, unless otherwise provided;

1. 6. hire, supervise, evaluate, and discharge their individual legislative assistants.

2. The Council President reviews the preparation of the agenda for City Council meetings, briefings, and study session meetings and presides at meetings of the City Council. The Council President also serves as the Mayor Pro Tem. The Council President shall serve as the primary signatory on all Council budgetary, expenditure, and appropriation matters as related to the Council Office budget; consistent with City procedures and policies.

3. City Council agenda items shall be submitted and processed consistent with the City Council Rules of Procedure and administrative policies and procedures.

4. The City Council shall establish standing and ad hoc committees by rule to assist in the performance of its assigned duties.

5. Any City Council committee with more than three Council Members as committee members shall be considered a committee of the whole City Council. All meetings of such a committee shall be considered a City Council meeting with the appropriate public meeting notice. No legislative action may be taken at any standing or ad hoc committee unless the committee meeting was noticed as a special meeting in compliance with the Washington Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA) and applicable City Council Rules of Procedure.

6. All standing committee meetings shall be open to the public except when the committee adjourns into executive session. Participation in a standing committee meeting shall be limited to standing committee members, appropriate staff, other individuals recognized by the committee, and members of the public who sign up to testify pursuant to council rules. Participation by Council Members, including deliberation and voting, shall be open to all Council Members when the standing committee is meeting as a committee of the whole and as a special Council meeting.

Date Passed: Monday, December 16, 2024

Effective Date: Wednesday, January 22, 2025

ORD C36628 Section 1