Title VII — CITIES, TOWNS AND VILLAGES

77.715. Moneys to be paid over to county treasurer, when — all records to be delivered to county clerk. — When the trustee shall have closed the affairs of the corporation and shall have paid all debts due by the corporation, he or she shall pay over to the county treasurer all m…

78.010. Definitions. — In the construction of sections 78.010 to 78.420 the following rules shall be observed, unless such construction would be inconsistent with the manifest intent or repugnant to the context of the statute: (1) The words "councilman" or "alderman" shall be con…

78.020. Organization. — That any city of the third class, including any such city acting under special charter or any city now having or which may hereafter have a population entitling them to become cities of the third class, may become organized as a city under the provisions o…

78.030. Election — petition for — how held — officers elected, when. — Upon petition of voters equal in number to twenty-five percent of the votes cast for all candidates for mayor at the last preceding city election of any such city, the mayor shall, by proclamation, submit the …

78.040. Officers — quorum — mayor to have no veto. — Every city having a population of eight thousand and less than thirty thousand shall be governed by a council consisting of the mayor and four councilmen, and every city having a population of three thousand and less than eight…

78.050. Salaries, how computed. — The mayor and councilmen shall have an office at the city hall or at some other convenient and suitable place. The mayor's and each councilman's annual salary shall be fixed by ordinance. Such salary shall be payable in equal monthly or semimonth…

78.060. Powers of council — departments. — 1. The council shall have and possess, and the council and its members shall exercise all executive, legislative and judicial powers and duties now had, possessed and exercised by the mayor, city council, city attorney, assessor, treasur…

78.070. Mayor and councilmen to superintend departments — council to elect city officers. — The mayor shall be superintendent of the department of public affairs and the council shall at the first regular meeting after election of its members designate by a majority vote one coun…

78.080. Election of mayor and councilmen. — In every city having a population of over three thousand and under eight thousand there shall be elected at the first municipal election held after the taking effect of this section, and every four years thereafter, a mayor and two coun…

78.090. Election, primary — held when — elimination of primary, when. — 1. Candidates to be voted for at all general municipal elections at which a mayor and councilmen are to be elected under the provisions of sections 78.010 to 78.400 shall be nominated by a primary election, e…

78.100. Candidate to file statement. — Any person desiring to become a candidate for mayor or councilman shall file with the city clerk a statement of such candidacy in substantially the following form: ­ ­ ­­-------- (RSMo 1939 § 7060, A.L. 1978 H.B. 971, A.L. 1998 H.B. 1807) Pr…

78.120. Form of ballot. — Upon the said ballot the names of the candidates for mayor, arranged in the order of filing shall first be placed, with a square at the left of each name, and immediately below, the words, "vote for one". Following these names, likewise arranged in the o…

78.140. Who shall be candidates. — The two candidates receiving the highest number of votes for mayor shall be the candidates, and the only candidates whose names shall be placed upon the ballot for mayor at the next succeeding general municipal election, and in cities having a p…

78.160. Council meetings. — Regular meetings of the council shall be held on the first Monday after the election of councilmen, and thereafter at least once each month. The council shall provide by ordinance for the times of holding regular meetings, and special meetings may be c…

78.170. Appropriations — power of council. — If at the beginning of the term of office of the first council elected in such city under the provisions of sections 78.010 to 78.420 the appropriations for the expenditures of the city government for the current fiscal year have been …

78.180. Itemized statement of receipts and expenses — accounts to be examined, how. — The council shall each month in cities having a population of ten thousand and less than thirty thousand, and every three months in cities having a population of three thousand and less than ten…

78.190. Ordinances to be on file with city clerk for inspection — franchises — extensions or renewal, to be voted on. — Every ordinance or resolution appropriating money or ordering any street improvement or sewer, or making or authorizing the making of any contract or granting a…

78.200. Ordinance by initiative — procedure. — Any proposed ordinance may be submitted to the council by petition signed by voters of the city equal in number to the percentage hereafter required. The signatures, verification, authentication, inspection, certification, amendment …

78.210. Ballots — such ordinance may be repealed, how. — 1. The question shall be submitted in substantially the following form: Shall the following ordinance be (adopted) (repealed)? (Set out ordinance) 2. If a majority of the voters voting on the proposed ordinance shall vote i…

78.220. Proposed ordinance — effective, when — referendum. — No ordinance passed by the council, except when otherwise required by the general laws of the state, or by the provisions of sections 78.010 to 78.420, except an ordinance for the immediate preservation of the public pe…

78.230. Organization may be abandoned — charter may be resumed — procedure. — Any city which shall have operated for more than six years under the provisions of sections 78.010 to 78.420 may abandon such organization hereunder, and accept the provisions of the general law of the …

78.240. Contents of petition. — Petitions provided for in sections 78.010 to 78.420 shall be signed by none but voters of the city. Each petition shall contain, in addition to the names of the petitioners, the street and house number in which the petitioner resides, his age and l…

78.250. Council may create and discontinue offices — may change compensation. — The council shall have power from time to time to create, fill and discontinue offices and employments other than herein prescribed according to their judgment of the needs of the city; and may by maj…

78.260. Officer may be removed — procedure. — The holder of any elective office may be removed at any time by the voters qualified to vote for a successor of such incumbent. The procedure to effect the removal of an incumbent of an elective office shall be as follows: a petition …

78.270. Clerk to ascertain sufficiency of petition — council to order election. — Within ten days from the date of filing such petition the city clerk shall examine and from the voters' register ascertain whether or not said petition is signed by the requisite number of voters, a…

78.280. Election — form of ballot. — 1. Nominations hereunder shall be made without the intervention of a primary election by filing with the clerk a statement of candidacy accompanied by a petition signed by voters of the city, equal in number to at least ten percent of the enti…

78.290. Incumbent may be candidate. — The successor of any officer so removed shall hold office during the unexpired term of his predecessor. Any person sought to be removed may be a candidate to succeed himself, and unless he requests otherwise in writing, the clerk shall place …

78.300. Qualifications of officers and employees — unlawful promises — statement of campaign expenses. — All officers and employees in any such city shall be elected or appointed with reference to their qualifications and fitness and for the good of the public service, and withou…

78.310. Civil service commissioners — appointment. — In cities having a population of twenty thousand and less than thirty thousand the council shall, and in cities having a population of ten thousand and less than twenty thousand the council may immediately after organizing, by …

78.320. Tenure — qualifications. — In cities wherein civil service commissioners have been appointed under the provisions of sections 78.010 to 78.420, each succeeding council shall as soon as practicable after organizing appoint one commissioner for four years who shall take the…

78.330. Removal — council to supply necessary equipment. — The council may remove any of said commissioners during their term of office for cause and shall fill any vacancy that may occur in said commission for the unexpired term. The city council shall provide suitable rooms in …

78.340. Oath. — 1. Before entering upon the duties of their office each of said commissioners shall take and subscribe an oath, which shall be filed and kept in the office of the city clerk, to support the Constitution of the state of Missouri and to obey the laws and aim to secu…

78.350. Examination of applicants. — Said commission shall, on the first Tuesdays in April and October of each year, or oftener if it shall be deemed necessary, under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the council, hold examinations for the purpose of determining …

78.360. Removal from office. — All persons under civil service shall be subject to removal from office or employment by the council for misconduct or failure to perform their duties under such rules and regulations as it may adopt, and the chief of police, chief of the fire depar…

78.370. General powers and duties. — The council shall have the power to enforce the attendance of witnesses, the production of books and papers and power to administer oaths in the same manner and with like effect and under the same penalties as in the case of associate circuit …

78.380. Provisions to apply to whom. — The provisions of sections 78.310 to 78.390 shall apply to all appointive officers and employees of such city except those specially named in section 78.070, commissioners of any kind (laborers whose occupation requires no special skill or f…

78.390. Penalties. — The council of such city shall have the power to pass ordinances imposing suitable penalties for the punishment of persons violating any of the provisions of sections 78.010 to 78.420 relating to the civil service commission. ­­-------- (RSMo 1939 § 7069) Pri…

78.400. Laws applicable — territorial limits not to change. — All laws governing cities of the third class and not inconsistent with the provisions of sections 78.010 to 78.420 shall apply to and govern cities organized under said sections. All bylaws, ordinances and resolutions …

78.430. Third class city may adopt city manager form of government — procedure. — 1. Any city of the third class, or any city with a population entitling it to become a city of the third class, may become organized under the provisions of sections 78.430 to 78.640 by proceeding i…

78.440. Laws shall apply, when — limits of city to remain same. — All laws governing any city under its former organization and not inconsistent with the provisions of sections 78.430 to 78.640 shall apply to and govern such city after it adopts the form of government herein prov…

78.450. City may abandon plan — procedure — election — form of ballot. — 1. Any city which has operated pursuant to the provisions of sections 78.430 to 78.630 may abandon the form of organization provided for in sections 78.430 to 78.630, by proceeding as follows: upon the petit…

78.460. Council to consist of five members — term — vacancies, how filled. — The council shall consist of five members, and all persons now eligible for the position of councilman under the laws governing cities of the third class shall be eligible to serve as councilmen under se…

78.470. Candidates may be nominated by primary election, exception. — Except as provided in section 78.530, candidates to be voted for at all general and special municipal elections at which the officers are to be elected under the provisions of sections 78.430 to 78.640 shall be…

78.480. Statement of candidacy if running in primary election, exception. — 1. Except as provided in section 78.530, any person desiring to become a candidate for councilman shall file with the city clerk a statement of such candidacy in substantially the following form: ­ ­ 2. T…

78.510. Primary shall not be required, when. — The primary election as provided for by sections 78.470 to 78.500 shall not be required if upon the expiration of the time for filing of statements with the city clerk of persons desiring to become a candidate for councilman, as prov…

78.520. General election — official ballot for use following a primary election. — 1. Except as provided in section 78.530, the city clerk shall thereupon cause the official ballots to be printed, and upon the ballots the names of the candidates shall be arranged in the order of …

78.530. City elections, alternative procedure eliminating primary elections. — 1. As an alternative to conducting city elections as provided by sections 78.470 to 78.520, the city council may provide by ordinance for the elimination of the primary election and the conduct of city…

78.540. Conduct of election — council to establish voting precincts. — 1. If a person elected fails to qualify within thirty days after his election, the office shall be filled as if there were a vacancy in such office, as herein provided. 2. No informalities in conducting munici…

78.560. Organization of city council. — 1. The city council shall at the time of organizing elect one of its members as mayor and another as chairman pro tem for a term of one year. In case the members of the city council, within five days after the time herein fixed for their or…

78.570. Powers of council — city manager. — 1. Except as herein otherwise provided the council of any city organizing under sections 78.430 to 78.640 shall have all of the powers now or hereafter given to the council or to the mayor and council jointly, under the law by which suc…