Legal Documents of Dandridge

The following rules of procedure shall regulate business before the board of mayor and aldermen:

1. The presiding officer of the board of mayor and aldermen shall be the mayor or such person designated by the board to serve in his absence. He shall be charged with the responsibility of deciding questions of order and matters of decorum subject to appeal to the board of mayor and aldermen.
2. Motions shall not be entertained before debate nor be withdrawn after being read or stated. The recorder shall read all written motions and the presiding officer shall state all other motions to the board of mayor and aldermen.
3. Motions having priority over all other motions shall have precedence in the order that follows: 
   
   1. To adjourn,
   2. Lay on table,
   3. The previous question,
   4. To refer and to amend.
4. The previous question shall be admitted on demand of three (3) members. It shall preclude all further amendments or debate except pending amendments to the main question, and shall be stated in the following words: "Shall the main question be now put?"
5. Division of any question before the board may be made when such division may be effected without destroying the coherence of the question.
6. Recognition of a member who desires to speak is made by his respectful address to the presiding officer. Such officer shall acknowledge the member of his right to the floor by stating his name.
7. A limit on debate or speech of any member shall be ten (10) minutes for any one time and not more than two (2) times on any one question without the consent of at least three (3) members present.
8. Voting on any question shall be controlled by the following requirements: 
   
   1. Each member shall vote on all questions before the board unless excused by the presiding officer.
   2. An affirmative vote of the majority of the board of mayor and aldermen shall be required for any question to carry.
   3. Roll call shall be made in alphabetical order.
   4. No member shall have the right to explain the reason for his vote during roll call of members.
   5. Members shall vote "aye" to express affirmation and vote "no" to express a negative vote.
   6. Reconsideration of any question that passed may be moved by any member who voted in the affirmative, and reconsideration of any question that failed may be moved by any member who voted in the negative. Reconsideration of a question will not lie if the same results can be accomplished by another motion. Upon failure to carry, a motion to reconsider shall not be in order again.

   7. The form of all questions shall be as follows:

      "As many as are of the opinion that __________ , say Aye; contrary No." If doubt arises as to the result of a vote, the presiding officer or any other member may request a roll call vote. (1995 Code, § 1-105)