Board of Aldermen
Community
History of Iuka
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Iuka is run on the
Mayor-Board of Aldermen form of government, (also known as
the "code charter" form). This form is
used today by approximately 95% of Mississippi's nearly
300 municipalities.
Under this form of
government, the governing body is comprised of a mayor and
either five or seven aldermen. Iuka, with fewer than
10,000 inhabitants, has five aldermen. Although
both the mayor and the board have powers and
responsibilities that are theirs alone, the Code frequently
(and interchangeably) uses the phrases governing
"authorities" and "the mayor and
board of aldermen" in awarding power to municipal
governments.
It may be argued, in fact, an
examination of the statutes reveals that most of the
municipal authority has been awarded to the mayor and the
board of aldermen, acting as a body. Of particular
significance is the fact that the five (5) "elective
officers" (other than the mayor and the aldermen)
established by law- municipal judge, marshal or chief of
police, tax collector, tax assessor, and clerk-may be made
appointive at the discretion of the governing
authorities. Where and elective officer is made
appointive, the person appointed serves at the pleasure of
the governing authorities. Moreover, it is discretionary
with the governing authorities whether or not that person
must reside within the corporate limits.
The mayor and all members of the
board of aldermen must be qualified electors of the
municipality and must be chosen by election. The
mayor is elected from the municipality at large. In
Iuka, the five aldermen may be elected entirely at large,
or one may be elected at large and four by
ward. The mayor and aldermen are elected every
four (4) years in a general municipal election held on the
first Tuesday after the first Monday in June. If an
alderman moves from his ward, or if the mayor or an
alderman moves from the municipality, the office is
automatically vacated and refilled.
The mayor is vested with the
"superintending control" of all officers and
affairs of the municipality and is charge with seeing the
laws and ordinances are executed. He presides over
all meetings of the board of aldermen, but is allowed to
vote only in case of a tie. He has the power to veto
any ordinance, resolution, or order adopted by the board
of aldermen by returning the measure to the board with a
written statement of his objections to all or any part of
it, within ten (10) days of its receipt. The mayor
is required to sign all commissions and appointments of
officers chosen b the mayor and board of aldermen.
In addition, he, along with the clerk, is required to
approve all bonds of municipal officers.
Although the mayor presides
over all meetings of the board, only members of the
board may make motions and cast votes (except in case of
equal division, where the mayor may cast the deciding
vote). The board of aldermen is required to elect
from among its members a mayor pro tempore to
preside over its meetings and otherwise serve in the place
of the mayor in cases of his "temporary absence"
or "disability." The board is also require
o submit all its ordinances, resolutions, and orders to
the mayor for approval or veto; and in the event the mayor
vetoes any measure, the board may override the veto by a
vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the members.
One of the most important areas
of shared power is that of appointing and dismissing
various municipal officials and employees. As noted
earlier, the mayor and aldermen share authority to make
the municipal judge, marshal or chief of police, tax
collector, tax assessor, and clerk, "appointive"
officers rather than "elective officers".
When that power is exercised, the officer serves at the
pleasure of the mayor and board. In addition, these
officers, the mayor and aldermen may appoint a street
commissioner and any such other officers and employees as
may be necessary and and may prescribe their duties and
fix their compensation. A surety bond is required
for all officers and employees handling public
funds. In practice, the aldermen hire and fire
subject to the mayor's veto, while the mayor oversees the
daily operation of municipal government and makes
recommendations to the board. In 1976 the mayor and
board of aldermen were give the specific authority to
establish the position of chief administrative officer,
but the ordinance doing so requires a two-thirds (2/3)
vote of the aldermen.
Excerpts taken from
"The Handbook for Mississippi Municipal Clerks and
Tax Collectors"
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