Dear Mr. Samuels,
You seem to have a fundamental misunderstanding of your duties as City Council President. You said “[b]ecause I choose to lead by building consensus as much as possible, and to show respect for my colleagues on City Council, I routinely ask for consensus on various issues.”
The President does not “choose” how decisions are made. The President must follow the rules of procedure.
The President does not “lead” in the sense you use the word. The President conducts meetings.
The President does not “build consensus.” The President remains neutral.
The word “consensus” is not in the rules. Council’s rule book, Robert’s Rules of Order, states that Henry Robert rejected the use of consensus because it “can become a form of tyranny.”
I have attached a list of the President’s duties.
Thank you,
C. Wayne Taylor
City Hall ReviewDuties of Richmond City Council President
President: noun use of present participle of praesidere, preside, literally “sit in front of,” from prae “before” + sedere “to sit” .
CITY CHARTER
Preside at council meetings (4.03.)
RULES OF PROCEDURE (adopted by City Council)
1. Preside over council meetings (I.A.)
2. Rule on interpretations of rules of procedure (I.A.)
3. Substitute member of standing committees (I.D.2.)
4. Introduce resolution to remove committee member for absences (I.D.5.)
5. Call special meeting of council (II.B.)
6. Deem a member’s request a request of council (III.C.6.)
7. Call formal meeting agenda items in a different order (IV.D.)
8. Decide order and scheduling of agenda items (IV.E.4)
9. Authorize a consent agenda (IV.F.)
10. Approve removal of item from consent agenda (IV.F.)
11. Call docket items out of the order listed (IV.F.)
12. Determine time allotted to each citizen comment speaker (IV.G.)
13. Determine time allotted to each award or presentation (IV.H.)
14. Call action items singly or in groups (IV.J.)
15. Solicit responses to public hearing questions (IV.J.)
16. Preserve order and decorum (IV.L.)
17. Order the expulsion of any person (IV.L.)
18. Bar a person from attending meetings (IV.L.)
19. Have the council chamber cleared (IV.L.)
20. Make appointments if authorized by council (V.C.)
21. Determine standing committee to review ordinance or resolution (VI.A.)
22. Waive referral to standing committee with consent of committee chairperson (B.2.)ROBERT’S RULES OF ORDER (adopted by City Council’s Rules of Procedure)
(Section 47)
The presiding officer’s title is usually “president.”
1) To open the meeting
2) To announce the business that comes before the assembly
3) To recognize members who are entitled to the floor
4) To state and to put to vote all questions and to announce the result
5) To protect the assembly from obviously frivolous or dilatory motions
6) To enforce the rules
7) To expedite business
8) To decide all questions of order
9) To respond to inquiries of members
10) To authenticate all acts, orders, and proceedings of the assembly.
11) To declare the meeting adjourned