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Governance Rules
Election of Mayor and Deputy Mayor
Part two of chapter two in the Governance Rules.

2.1 Election of the Mayor

2.1.1 The Mayor will be elected for a term of 2 years.

2.1.2

 The Mayor must be elected within 1 month of the date of the general election.
2.1.3 At the end of the Mayoral term the Council must meet at a date as close as possible to the end of the Mayoral term to conduct the election of the next Mayor.
2.1.4 If the office of the Mayor becomes vacant:
2.1.4.1 a new Mayor must be elected within one month after any vacancy in the office of the Mayor; and
2.1.4.2 the Councillor elected to fill the vacancy serves the remaining period of the previous Mayor’s term.

2.2 Procedure for election of the Mayor

2.2.1 The Chief Executive Officer must open the meeting at which the Mayor is to be elected and preside until a Mayor is elected.
2.2.2 The Chief Executive Officer will be responsible for:
  2.2.2.1 the receipt of nominations for the election of Mayor; and
  2.2.2.2 the election of Mayor.
2.2.3 The election of the Mayor shall be by vote unless there is only one Councillor nominated for Mayor.
2.2.4 The Councillor who receives the absolute majority - of votes cast must be declared the elected Mayor.
2.2.5 The Chief Executive Officer shall be responsible for the counting of votes.
2.2.6 For the purpose of Clause 2.2.1 the following will apply:
2.2.6.1 nominations for Mayor must be moved and seconded;
2.2.6.2 a Councillor nominated for Mayor must be asked if they accept their nomination noting that Councillor may decline their nomination as a mayoral candidate;
2.2.6.3 where only one Councillor is nominated for Mayor and that nomination is moved and seconded that Councillor must be declared the Mayor;
2.2.6.4 where two nominations are received the Councillor with an absolute majority of votes cast must be declared the Mayor. Where there is an equal number of votes the successful candidate shall be determined by ballot conducted by the Chief Executive Officer in the presence of the meeting. In drawing the ballot the candidate whose name is first drawn must be declared the Mayor;
2.2.6.5 where there are more than two nominations received the Councillor who receives an Absolute Majority at the first round of votes cast must be declared elected as the Mayor. If no candidate receives an absolute majority of votes the candidate with the least number of votes must be eliminated as a candidate and a new vote must be taken for the remaining candidates.  This procedure must be repeated until a candidate receives an absolute majority of votes and that candidate shall be declared the Mayor. If the final two candidates receive an equal number of votes the successful candidate shall be determined by ballot conducted by the Chief Executive Officer in the presence of the meeting. In drawing the ballot the candidate whose name is first drawn is deemed to be the Mayor;
2.2.6.6 if for the purpose of eliminating the candidate with the least number of votes two or more candidates have the same least number of votes the candidate to be eliminated shall be determined by ballot conducted by the Chief Executive Officer in the presence of the meeting. The candidate whose name is first drawn will be eliminated.

2.3 Office of the Deputy Mayor

2.3.1 Immediately after the election of the mayor following a general election the council must vote to establish the office of the deputy mayor for the council’s term.
2.3.2 The deputy mayor will be elected for a term of 2 years to coincide with the term of the mayor. 
2.3.3 At the end of the deputy mayor’s term at the same meeting conducted to elect the mayor at the end of their term the council must conduct the election of the next deputy mayor.
2.3.4 If the office of the deputy mayor becomes vacant:
2.3.4.1 A new deputy mayor must be elected within one month after any vacancy in the office of the deputy mayor; and
2.3.4.2 The councillor elected to fill the vacancy of deputy mayor serves the remaining period of the previous deputy mayor’s term.
2.3.5 The deputy mayor must perform the role of the mayor and may exercise any of the powers of the mayor if:
2.3.5.1 The mayor is unable for any reason to attend a council meeting or part of a council meeting; or
2.3.5.2 The mayor is incapable of performing the duties of the office of mayor for any reason including illness; or
2.3.5.3 The office of the mayor becomes vacant until the next election of the mayor.

2.4 Procedure for election of the Deputy Mayor

For the purposes of the election of the deputy mayor the provisions of clause 2.2 for the election of the mayor will apply to the election of the deputy mayor save for any reference to the chief executive officer being substituted by a reference to the mayor and any reference to the mayor shall become a reference to the deputy mayor.

2.5 Eligibility to be Mayor or Deputy Mayor

Any councillor is eligible for election to the office of mayor or deputy may unless they are precluded from doing so under section 167 of the act.

2.6 Appointment of Acting Mayor

If council has not established an office of the deputy mayor and it becomes required to appoint an acting mayor it can do so by:

2.6.1 Resolving that a specified councillor be so appointed; or
2.6.2 Following the procedure set out in rule 2.2 of this chapter

at its discretion.