City Council Rules and Procedures

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CITY COUNCIL RULES AND
PROCEDURES
SECTION I - RULES OF JOURNAL:
The Council shall determine its own rules, order of business, conduct of public meetings
and shall provide for keeping a journal of its proceedings. This journal shall be a public
record.
SECTION II - MEETINGS:
The Council shall meet regularly twice each month at such times and places as the
Council may prescribe by resolution. Special meetings may be held on the call of the
Mayor or of four or more Council members. All meetings shall be public. Executive
sessions may be held for the purposes allowed by law. Pre-sessions or briefing sessions
are permissible to brief Council members on the items included on the agenda. Notices of
meetings will include the time, place and agenda and will be posted in a public place at
least 24 hours in advance of the meeting, shared on the City website and sent to agenda
email subscribers. In case of an emergency, notice will be as long as is reasonable under
the circumstances.
SECTION III - AGENDA:
The City Manager will determine a process for staff to submit agenda items for
consideration at study sessions and all Council meetings. The City Manager will advise
the Mayor and Council members when the need arises for a special meeting to address
emergent items.
Any member or members of the Council may submit an item for the Council agenda(s)
prior to 5 p.m. on the Wednesday of the week prior to the week of the Council meeting(s)
at which the item will be considered. The item must be submitted in writing to the City
Clerk using the Council Member Agenda Item Submittal form (see Exhibit A) for the item to
be added to the Council agenda.
Upon receipt, the form will be provided by the City Clerk to the Mayor, all Council
members, City Manager and City Attorney. The Council member(s) who submitted the
agenda item will, to the best of their ability, communicate the reason for the agenda item to
the Mayor, Council members, City Manager and City Attorney as soon as possible before
the Monday study session. However, the communication shall comply with Open Meeting
Law and shall be limited to the reason for adding the agenda item and not for consensus
building among the Council.
The requested item shall appear on the Monday study session agenda for discussion,
followed by the Thursday regular meeting for further discussion or possible action, unless

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withdrawn by the submitter(s) as indicated in this section. Direction related to the item will
be determined by City Council majority. If an ordinance or resolution is requested or
required to enact the item, direction may be given by City Council majority at the Thursday
regular meeting to have the City Attorney draft such a document. The ordinance or
resolution would then be placed on a future Council agenda for consideration.
The same Council member(s) who submitted the agenda item may withdraw that item up
until 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, the day prior to the Thursday regular meeting.
The City Clerk shall list the matters according to the order of business and distribute and
post the agenda(s) prior to the Council meeting(s), as early as possible. No item shall be
submitted to the Council, except through the City Manager/designee or City Clerk,
however, any member of the public may address item(s) not on the agenda under
“Unscheduled Public Appearances.” To comply with Arizona Revised Statutes, Council
shall not discuss items not on the agenda.
SECTION IV - PRESIDING OFFICER - DUTIES:
The Mayor shall be the presiding officer of the Council. The presiding officer shall preserve
strict order and decorum at all regular and special meetings of the Council. He/she shall
state every question coming before the Council, announce the decision of the Council on all
subjects and decide all questions of order. Any decision or ruling of the Mayor may be
appealed to the Council as a whole by a motion and second. The Mayor shall call for roll
call to see if the chair shall be upheld; if the roll call loses, the Mayor is reversed.
SECTION V - CALL TO ORDER - PRESIDING OFFICER:
The Mayor, or in his absence, the Vice Mayor shall call the Council to order at the
scheduled meeting time. In the absence of the Mayor or Vice Mayor, the City Clerk shall
call the Council to order. A temporary chair then shall be elected by the members of the
Council present. When the Mayor or Vice Mayor arrives, the temporary chair shall
relinquish the chair when the business immediately before the Council is finished.
SECTION VI - ROLL CALL:
Before proceeding with the business of the Council, the City Clerk shall call the roll of the
members, and the names of those present shall be entered in the minutes.
Members of the Council will attend Council meetings in person. In the event of an illness,
emergency or out of town travel, Council members may attend a Council meeting electronically.
Members will provide the City Clerk with three hours’ notice of their intent to attend a
meeting electronically. When a member of the Council attends a meeting electronically, the
Mayor shall state for the record the member of the Council who is attending the meeting
electronically, and the City Attorney, if requested to do so by any member of the Council,
shall describe the procedures followed to provide the public access to all communications
during the meeting.
SECTION VII - QUORUM:
A quorum shall consist of a majority of the members of Council; however, no action of the
Council shall be valid or binding unless adopted by the affirmative vote of four or more

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members of the Council.
SECTION VIII - ORDER OF BUSINESS:
a)
The following items will generally appear on a regular meeting agenda:
1) Call to Order
2) Roll Call
3) Invocation
4) Pledge of Allegiance
5) Scheduled Public Appearances
6) Consent Agenda
7) Action Agenda
8) Public Hearings
9) Unscheduled Public Appearances
10) Current Events
(a) Mayor's Announcements
(b) Council Members' Announcements
(c) City Manager's Announcements
11) Adjournment
The Mayor, or the Council by majority vote, may consider items out of sequence
from the printed agenda. A decision by the Mayor to consider items out of sequence
may be appealed to the Council in accordance with Section IV of these Rules and
Procedures.
b)
The consent agenda matters are routine and may be adopted by one motion. There
will be no discussion of separate items, unless one or more members of the City
Council, staff, or the public requests that a specific item be discussed, in which
case, any member of Council may have the item removed from the consent agenda
and placed on the action agenda for individual consideration.
c)
Procedures for public hearings are discussed in Section XV.
d)
Procedures for submitting petitions are discussed in Section XVI.
e)
Scheduled public appearances requested by residents can be considered for an
agenda after the resident submits the Request for Scheduled Public Appearance

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form provided by the City Clerk (see Exhibit B). Residents must submit the form prior
to 12:00 p.m. on the Monday of the week prior to the week of the Council meeting at
which the scheduled public appearance will be considered. Scheduled public
appearances shall be placed as close to the beginning of a regular meeting or study
session as possible. During weeks when Council meets in a condensed schedule with
a regular meeting and study session on the same evening, scheduled and unscheduled
public appearances will only be placed on one agenda for the week. Scheduled public
appearances will be placed on the Monday regular meeting agenda. Unscheduled
public appearances will be placed on the Thursday regular meeting agenda.
f)
Each City Council work session and subcommittee meeting will include a Public
Comment agenda item. Members of the public wishing to address the Council or
subcommittee will follow the procedures set forth by the City Clerk. Public
comments will be heard only for the item(s) on that published meeting agenda. Up
to 15 minutes will be allotted for public comments on the agenda item(s) at the end
of the agenda. Each speaker will be allocated up to three minutes at the discretion
of the Presiding Officer or designated parliamentarian. Public comments must be
directed to the Council or subcommittee members and must be related to the
agenda topic(s). Comments related to sales or proposals for services will not be
permitted.
g)
If the City Council wishes to adjourn to a later time, the Council must pass a motion
specifying the date and time to which the regular meeting is being adjourned.
A motion to adjourn shall always be in order except during roll call. When a motion
is made and seconded to adjourn, any member of the Council may state why it is
improper for the Council to adjourn. That statement, however, shall be debatable.
SECTION IX - PROCEDURES FOR DEBATE:
On those issues requiring debate, the presiding officer shall state the issue before the
Council and may call for a motion and second thereon. Unless Council by consensus
determines no report is necessary, staff shall report on the issue and will respond to
Council questions. Council members shall be allotted time to present their positions and
concerns. Interested members of the community shall also have an opportunity to express
their positions on any issue coming before the Council. Section XI covers the proper
method of addressing the Council. Council may limit the amount of time allotted for
discussion.
A motion and second on the issue will be in order at any time during Council discussion.
Discussion may continue after the motion is made for such period of time as is authorized
elsewhere in these rules.
SECTION X - RULES OF DEBATE:
a)
PRESIDING OFFICER MAY DEBATE AND VOTE: The Mayor or member of
the Council that is presiding may move, second and debate from the Chair, subject
only to such limitations of debate as are imposed on all members. The presiding
officer shall not be deprived of any of the rights and privileges of a Council member.

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b)
GETTING THE FLOOR - IMPROPER REFERENCE TO BE AVOIDED: Every
member desiring to speak shall address the Chair, be recognized by the Chair and
speak upon the question under debate, avoiding all attacks on personalities and
indecorous language.
c)
INTERRUPTIONS: A member, once recognized, shall not be interrupted when
speaking unless it is to call him/her to order. If a member, while speaking, is called
to order, he/she shall cease speaking until the question of order is determined, and,
if in order, he/she shall be permitted to proceed.
d)
PERSONAL PRIVILEGE: The right of a Council member to address the Council on
a question of personal privilege shall be limited to cases in which his/her integrity,
character or motives are questioned or where the welfare of the Council is
concerned. A Council member may interrupt another speaker if the Mayor
recognizes the "privilege".
SECTION XI - ADDRESSING THE COUNCIL:
a)
Any person wishing to address the Council shall first secure permission of the
presiding officer to do so. The Council may limit the length of time that a person is
permitted to address the Council.
b)
WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS: Interested parties or their authorized representatives
may address the Council by written communications in regard to matters under
discussion.
c)
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS: During the proper time on the agenda, taxpayers or
residents of the City, or their authorized representatives, may address the Council
on any matter concerning the City's business, or any matter over which the Council
has control. Oral presentations shall not be repetitious and the Mayor may limit the
length of presentations.
d)
AFTER MOTION MADE: No person shall address the Council after a motion is
made without first securing the permission of the Council to do so.
SECTION XII - DECORUM:
a)
BY COUNCIL MEMBERS: While the Council is in session, the members must
preserve order and decorum. A member shall neither, by conversation or otherwise,
delay or interrupt the proceedings or the peace of the Council, nor disturb any
member while speaking or refuse to obey the orders of the Council or its presiding
officer, except as otherwise herein provided.
b)
BY PERSONS: Any person making personal, impertinent, or slanderous remarks, or
who becomes boisterous while addressing the Council, or who interferes with the
order of business before the Council, and who fails, upon request of the presiding
officer to cease such activity, shall be barred from further audience before the
Council, unless permission to continue is granted by a majority vote of the Council.
SECTION XIII - ENFORCEMENT OF DECORUM:

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The City Manager shall appoint a sergeant-at-arms at the Council meetings. He/She, or
they, shall carry out all orders and instructions given by the presiding officer for the purpose
of maintaining order and decorum at the Council meeting. Upon instructions of the
presiding officer, it shall be the duty of the sergeant-at arms, to remove any person who
violates the order and decorum of the meeting.
SECTION XIV - VOTING:
a)
ROLL CALL: All votes shall be by roll call. (A device which displays the vote of each
Council member is considered a roll call vote.)
b)
PRECEDENCE OF MOTIONS: When a motion is before the Council, no motion
shall be entertained except: (1) to adjourn, (2) to fix hour of adjournment, (3) to lay
on the table, (4) for the previous question, (5) to postpone to a certain day, (6) to
refer, (7) to amend, (8) to postpone indefinitely or to (9) divide the question. These
motions shall have precedence in the order indicated.
c)
AMENDMENTS: No more than one amendment to a main motion is permitted.
When an amendment is before the Council, the Council shall vote first on the
amendment. After the amendment has passed or failed, the Council shall vote on
the main motion.
d)
MOTION TO TABLE: The purpose of this motion is to temporarily bypass the
subject. A motion to lay on the table is nondebatable and shall preclude all
amendments or debate of the subject under consideration. If the motion prevails,
the matter may be "taken from the table" at any time prior to the end of the next
regular meeting.
e)
MOTION TO END DEBATE (CALL FOR THE QUESTION): The purpose of this motion
is to close debate on the main motion. It is nondebatable, and no further discussion
shall be permitted until the motion is acted upon. If the motion fails, debate is
reopened; if the motion passes, then the Council shall vote on the main motion.
f)
DIVISION OF QUESTION: If the question contains two or more divisible
propositions, the Mayor may, or upon successful motion of the Council, shall divide
the same.
g)
WITHDRAWAL OF MOTION: When a motion is made and seconded, it shall be so
stated by the Chair before debate commences. A motion may not be withdrawn by
the mover without the consent of the member seconding it.
h)
CONFLICT OF INTEREST: Council members shall abide by the provisions of
A.R.S. Chapter 38, Article 3. When a Council member determines he or she has a
conflict of interest, he or she shall announce such conflict and refrain from
discussing or voting upon the matter.
i)
COUNCIL MEMBER REQUIRED TO VOTE: Council members are required to vote
on all issues placed before them. A failure to vote or a voluntary abstention shall be
counted as an "aye" vote unless excused by State Conflict of Interest Laws.

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j)
RECORDING VOTES; TIE VOTES: The Journal (minutes) of the proceedings of the
Council shall record individual votes on all ordinances, resolutions and franchises.
In the case of a tie in votes on any motion, the motion fails.
k)
MOTION TO RECONSIDER: A motion to reconsider a decision may be made at the
same meeting the decision was made or at the next regular or special meeting, but
not later than 30 days after the date the decision was made.
If a motion to reconsider a decision is made at the next regular or special meeting
and the motion passes, the agenda item shall then be placed for decision on the
agenda of the next regular meeting not held in the same week. Notice of the
meeting shall be posted and additional notice shall be posted on the affected
property for zoning ordinances. An effort shall be made to notify the applicant and
other persons who appeared in interest of the time and date of the meeting.
A special meeting may be called for a motion of reconsideration in the event a
meeting is not scheduled within 30 days after the meeting the decision to be
reconsidered was made. A motion to reconsider must be made by one on the
prevailing side but may be seconded by any member. A question failing by virtue of
a tie vote may be reconsidered by motion of any member of the Council.
SECTION XV - PROCEDURE FOR DEBATE DURING PUBLIC HEARING:
The following shall be the procedure during public hearings:
1)
Staff report, if any, by the appropriate staff members and relevant questions by
Council members.
2)
Presentation by the proponent initiator explaining and advocating the item.
3)
Testimony by members of the public who support or oppose the item will be limited
to three minutes per resident unless otherwise set by the Chair.
4)
Written communications filed with the City Clerk.
5)
Discussion by Council members. The order of recognition of Council members
desiring to speak other than the Council member who authored the item shall be
determined by the Chair.
6)
The Mayor may ask for a rebuttal and/or brief closing statement by the proponent
initiator.
7)
Motion and Second. (A motion and second may be made at any time during the
hearing.)
8)
Motion to amend (if any). (A motion to amend may be made at any time after the
original motion and second.)
9)
Vote.

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SECTION XVI - PETITIONS:
Any resident of the City may appear before the Council at any regular meeting and present
a written petition. Petitions, remonstrances, communications and comments or
suggestions from residents present shall be heard by the Council. All such remarks shall
be addressed to the Council as a whole, and not to any member thereof. No person other
than the individual speaking shall enter into the discussion without the permission of the
presiding officer. No question shall be asked of a Council member except through the
presiding officer.
SECTION XVII - ORDINANCE - EMERGENCY CLAUSE:
Ordinances shall be prepared as provided for in Sections 2.13 through 2.16 of the City of
Chandler Charter. Emergency shall be further defined as not including any routine matter
such as establishment of fines or penalties, the authorization for contracts, rezoning of
property, creation of taxes, lease of City land, amendment of the City Code or the levy of
assessments, unless harm to the public can be expected from a delay of action.
SECTION XVIII - SPECIAL COMMITTEES:
When the Council determines that a board, commission or resident committee is needed,
the following procedure shall be used:
a)
The party proposing the creation of the board, commission or resident committee will
prepare a memorandum defining the purpose, duties and objectives of the
committee and whether it is to be an ad hoc or continuing committee.
b)
That memorandum will be submitted to the City Manager for placement on an
agenda for Council discussion.
c)
The City Manager shall request the City Attorney draft an ordinance or resolution, if
necessary.
d)
The Council shall approve, modify or reject the proposal.
e)
Once a board, commission, or resident committee is approved, the Mayor shall
prepare nominations for members including their length of terms (not to exceed
three years).
f)
The Mayor's nominations shall be submitted to the Council at least seven days prior
to the meeting at which nominations will be confirmed.
g)
Council members may suggest alternate nominations during the meeting. Each
member appointed shall be approved by a majority of the Council.
h)
If the party proposing an ad hoc committee is a Councilmember, he/she shall serve
on the committee as an ex-officio member.
SECTION XIX – COUNCIL DISCRETIONARY BUDGET AMENDMENTS:

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Council discretionary budget amendments provide the opportunity for Council members to
allocate funding toward Council-prioritized events, initiatives, resources and programs.
These funds have a wide range of potential uses to address community or departmental
needs, support events and programs, purchase equipment or services and implement
training. The funds provide another mechanism to implement Council policy goals and
objectives.
As part of the annual budget development process, the City Council will review, prioritize
and approve the use of Council discretionary budget amendment funds through the
following procedures:
a)
Council members will review a list of staff-suggested options based on unfunded
departmental requests or needs in the community.
b)
Council members also may suggest discretionary budget amendment options for
consideration.
c)
Council discretionary budget amendment items require support from at least two
Council members before appearing on a recommended list for consideration by the
City Council.
d)
The City Council may vote on recommended Council discretionary budget
amendments as a collective group of items or as individual items.
e)
A majority vote of the Council is required for a Council discretionary budget
amendment item to be funded and implemented.
f)
The City Manager will assign Council-approved discretionary budget amendments
to a department for implementation in the new fiscal year.
SECTION XX – COUNCIL DISCRETIONARY SPENDING:
The Mayor and Council members shall determine an annual allocation for discretionary
spending through the budget adoption process each fiscal year. Discretionary spending is
generally to cover expenses related to conference/event registration, travel, food,
technology and training and must be associated with City business. The use of these funds
is governed by the same administrative policies that apply to City staff.
SECTION XXI - USE OF STAFF:
The City of Chandler is a member of several national, state and regional organizations
where the Mayor or a Council member is the assigned delegate to represent and vote on
behalf of the City. The members designated to represent the City Council on these
national, state and regional committees are assigned by the Mayor. The City Manager
shall provide the necessary staff resources for meeting preparation, attendance and travel
to help the Mayor and Council members effectively fulfill City representation on these
national, state and regional committee assignments assigned by the Mayor.
Council requests for staff and resources build upon a series of procedures that are
followed to provide policy direction for the City Manager to administer and implement with

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staff:
a)
City Council strategic planning retreats determine the vision, goals and policy
objectives for the City and then Council votes to approve the strategic framework.
b)
Council subcommittees and work sessions are forums to discuss policy issues,
obtain progress updates and convey direction to the City Manager.
c)
Council executive sessions are forums to obtain legal guidance and discuss
personnel matters.
d)
Council study sessions are forums to recognize, review and discuss agenda items
brought to the City Council.
e)
Council regular and special meetings are forums for Council to discuss, review and
approve agenda items brought to the City Council.
f)
The annual process of approving Council discretionary budget amendments and
adopting the budget are the mechanisms to allocate funding towards established or
new events, initiatives, programs and projects that Council deems to be priorities.
g)
Council members may request an agenda item as outlined in Section III - Agenda of
these Rules and Procedures to discuss a request for the use of staff and resources
outside of these established procedures.
The City Manager directs staff and allocates resources to implement the Council’s policy
direction as established through these procedures. These steps are the mechanism for the
Mayor and Council members to request staff and resources for new events, initiatives,
programs and projects over and above those that are already established in the City.
Staff resources are provided in areas where the City has jurisdiction to offer support for an
established City event, facility, program, project or service. The Mayor and Council
members also have the option to participate in staff-requested communications, events
and programs on behalf of the City Council. The City Manager or designee will establish a
Council member rotation schedule to ensure equitable opportunities among the City
Council and offer a menu of City-provided communication options for the City Council.
Staff support can be provided to help the Mayor and Council members fulfill their collective
responsibilities on the City Council with the following types of requests: correspondence,
speechwriting, presentations, talking points, travel and meeting preparation, response to
constituent and media inquiries, articles and columns, City email and City calendar
management.
No Council member shall request from the City Manager any staff support that entails more
than four hours of combined total staff time to implement the entirety of the request without
first seeking approval of the full City Council. This four-hour limitation applies to requests
that benefit an individual Council member(s) without discussion or direction by a Council
majority.
SECTION XXII –  MEDIA PRIVILEGES DURING AN ELECTION YEAR:

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During a year in which a primary and general election(s) are held, beginning 30 days prior
to the primary election date or on the first day of early voting in the primary election,
whichever occurs first, and continuing through the general election date, the City shall
suspend the posting of content on City communication platforms, distributing media
articles and sending of any general mailings, in any form, for incumbent Council members
who are a candidate for re-election to the City Council or the office of Mayor. This does not
apply after the primary election if an incumbent is re-elected at the primary election date. It
also does not apply to a Council member’s normal correspondence to constituents when
answering mail or e-mail as official business.
SECTION XXIII – SENIORITY OF COUNCIL MEMBERS:
For Council office assignments, seniority of Council members will be determined by years of
consecutive service. In the event of a tie related to years of consecutive service, seniority
will be determined by the total number of votes received in the most recent primary election
or general election. Those elected outright during the most recent primary election will have
seniority over those elected through a run-off in the most recent general election.
SECTION XXIV - ENFORCEMENT SUSPENSION, AND AMENDMENT OF RULES:
Enforcement of these rules shall be incumbent upon the City Council of Chandler. These
rules may be suspended or amended by a two-thirds vote of the City Council.
SECTION XXV - RULES OF ORDER:
The rules of parliamentary practice, comprised in Roberts Rules of Order, latest edition,
shall govern the Council in all cases to which they are applicable, provided they are not in
conflict with these Rules or with the Charter of the City of Chandler.
SECTION XXVI - COUNCIL FORMS:
a.
Exhibit A – Councilmember Agenda Item Submittal form
b.
Exhibit B – Request for Scheduled Public Appearance form
Adopted 9/29/2005 (Resolution No. 3884)
Amended 3/23/2006 (Resolution No. 3955)
Amended 3/25/2010 (Resolution No. 4392)
Amended 3/23/2023 (Resolution No. 5675)