Council President.
Milwaukee City Charter § 3-02
in effect3-02. Council President.
1. The common council shall, at the first meeting for organization after the general city election, choose by ballot from their number a president, who shall preside over their meetings for the term of office to which members of the common council were elected.
2. In case of a vacancy in the office of mayor, the president of the common council and by a direct line of succession and in the order herein set forth the persons elected or appointed to the following offices or positions shall have and exercise all the powers and discharge all the duties of the mayor, until such time as his successor shall be elected as hereinafter provided. The direct line of succession shall be as follows:
a. President of the common council.
b. Chairman of the committee on finance-personnel.
c. The chairman of the remaining standing committees of the common council in the order of their seniority, that is, the length of service in the office of alderman; and in the event such time of service be equal, then as to such chairmen, in the alphabetical order of their surnames.
d. The remaining aldermen in the order of their seniority, that is, the length of service in the office of alderman, and in the event such time of service be equal, then as to such aldermen, in the alphabetical order of their surnames.
3. The president of the common council while filling the vacancy as acting mayor may continue to serve as president of the common council, in addition to exercising the powers and responsibilities of the office of mayor, until such time as a new mayor is elected, but the acting mayor shall not take part in any vote of the common council during that period. The common council president shall serve as acting mayor until a successor shall be elected for the residue of the unexpired term.
4. In the event the mayor is unable to perform the duties of his office by reason of absence or sickness, the president of the common council and the other persons aforementioned in the same line of succession provided for in the event of a vacancy in the office of the mayor shall have the powers and duties of the mayor until such time as the mayor shall resume his duties, provided that if any person lower on the list of the line of successionor order as herein set forth shall be exercising such powers and discharging such duties and a person higher on the list of succession or order shall become available to serve, such powers and duties are forthwith vested in the person higher on the list or order. (S. 3-02 rc. Ch. Ord. 453, F#77-1311, Jan. 17, 1978. S. 3-02-3 am. File #001375, Feb. 6, 2001; eff. April 24, 2001.)
Source: City of Milwaukee Legislative Reference Bureau, Milwaukee City Charter and Code of Ordinances (city.milwaukee.gov master PDFs)URL: https://city.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/Groups/ccClerk/Ordinances/City-Charter/Master-Charter.pdf#page=13Fetched: 10/26/2026