372.4  Mayor-council form.

A city governed by the mayor-council form has a mayor and five council members elected at large, unless the council representation plan is changed pursuant to section 372.13, subsection 11. The council may, by ordinance, provide for a city manager and prescribe the manager's powers and duties, and as long as the council contains an odd number of council members, may change the number of wards, abolish wards, or increase the number of council members at large without changing the form.

However, a city governed, on July 1, 1975, by the mayor-council form composed of a mayor and a council consisting of two council members elected at large, and one council member from each of four wards, or a special charter city governed, on July 1, 1975, by the mayor-council form composed of a mayor and a council consisting of two council members elected at large and one council member elected from each of eight wards, may continue until the form of government is changed as provided in section 372.2 or section 372.9. While a city is thus operating with an even number of council members, the mayor may vote to break a tie vote on motions not involving ordinances, resolutions or appointments made by the council alone, and in a special charter city operating with ten council members under this section, the mayor may vote to break a tie vote on all measures.

The mayor shall appoint a council member as mayor pro tem, and shall appoint the marshal or chief of police except where an intergovernmental agreement makes other provisions for police protection or as otherwise provided in section 400.13. Other officers must be selected as directed by the council. The mayor is not a member of the council and may not vote as a member of the council.

In a city having a population of five thousand or less, the city council may, or shall upon petition of the electorate meeting the numerical requirements of section 372.2, subsection 1, submit a proposal at the next regular or special city election to reduce the number of council members to three. If a majority of the voters voting on the proposal approves it, the proposal is adopted. If the proposal is adopted, the new council shall be elected at the next regular or special city election. The council shall determine by ordinance whether the three council members are elected at large or by ward.

Section History: Early form

  [R60, § 1081, 1086, 1093, 1095, 1098, 1103, 1105, 1106; C73, § 511, 515, 521, 524, 528, 532, 534, 535; C97, § 645, 646, 652, 654, 655; S13, § 645, 646, 652, 654, 655; SS15, § 679-1a, 937; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, § 5631, 5634-5636, 6611, 6691; C46, 50, § 363.9, 363.13-363.15, 418.1, 420.1; C54, 58, 62, § 363A.2, 363A.3, 363D.1; C66, 71, 73, § 363A.2, 363A.3, 363A.5, 363D.1; C75, 77, 79, 81, § 372.4]

Section History: Recent form

  86 Acts, ch 1171, § 2; 87 Acts, ch 97, §1; 91 Acts, ch 256, §36; 97 Acts, ch 23, § 38

Internal References

  Referred to in § 372.13, 380.4


Previous Section 372.3

Next Section 372.5


Return To Home index


© 2001 Cornell College and League of Women Voters of Iowa


Comments about this site or page? webmaster@legis.iowa.gov.
Please remember that the person listed above does not vote on bills. Direct all comments concerning legislation to State Legislators.

Last update: Mon Jan 22 17:13:42 CST 2001
URL: /DOCS/IACODE/2001/372/4.html
jhf