Who will run the council meetings?

DAVENPORT - The city will spend at least the first 10 days of 2024 without a mayor after city council tabled a motion to pick the next Mayor at the final council meeting of 2023 Wednesday, Dec. 27.

That move pushed the decision between now-former Mayor Brad Sweet and current councilman Jonathan Chapman, the two finalists for the job, to the next council meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 10.

But without a mayor running the meeting, the responsibility of running that council meeting isn't as cut and dry.

In the absence of the Mayor, the Mayor Pro Tem runs a council meeting, according to City Hall staff.

But that Pro Tem is typically selected by the Mayor on an annual basis, and there isn't a Mayor to pick the Pro Tem for 2024.

Therefore, staff said, city council will begin the Jan. 10 meeting by nominating a Pro Tem for 2024. That Pro Tem will then run the meeting as usual, which will include a third straight executive session to debate the merits of selecting Sweet or Chapman as the next Mayor.

An added wrinkle is the addition of Mike Wilkinson to City Council, who replaced the outgoing Chris Ruiz at the start of the New Year.

Ruiz was one of three councilmen in favor of Sweet after the four mayoral candidates were interviewed Dec. 13. If Wilkinson shares that opinion, council could still be deadlocked 3-3 on their preferred candidate, but if Wilkinson prefers Chapman, that could presumably decide the race.

If council chooses Sweet, he will be immediately sworn in and retake the Mayor's spot after a 10 day break. If Chapman is chosen, the current councilman will have to resign from city council before being sworn in as Mayor.