§ 2-13. Submission of ordinances to the president.

A.

Every ordinance adopted by the council shall be signed by the presiding officer, except that upon failure of the presiding officer to sign the ordinance, the clerk of the council shall certify to its passage and it shall be presented to the president within five (5) calendar days after adoption, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and Parish holidays. The clerk of the council shall record upon the ordinance the date and hour of its delivery to the president.

B.

Within ten (10) calendar days after the president's receipt of an ordinance, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and Parish holidays, it shall be returned to the clerk of the council with the president's approval, or with the president's veto. The clerk shall record upon the ordinance the date and hour of its receipt from the president. If the proposed ordinance is not signed or vetoed by the president within ten (10) days after receipt, it shall be considered approved. If the ordinance has been approved, it shall be considered finally enacted and become effective as provided in Section 2-12 (Ordinances in General). If the ordinance is vetoed, the president shall submit to the council through the clerk a written statement of the reasons for the veto. The veto statement shall be published in full in the official journal by the clerk as soon as practical thereafter. All ordinances vetoed by the president shall be vetoed in full, except that the president shall have authority to veto individual appropriation items in the ordinances adopting the operating budget and capital improvement budget.

C.

Ordinances vetoed by the president shall be submitted by the clerk to the council no later than the next regular meeting held after publication of the veto statement. Should the council vote, not later than the second regular meeting held after receipt of the vetoed ordinance, to readopt the ordinance by the favorable vote of at least three fourths of its membership, said ordinance shall be considered finally enacted and become law irrespective of the veto by the president. The same procedure shall apply to individual appropriation items in the operating and capital improvement budgets vetoed by the president.

D.

The right of the president to veto as provided in this section shall apply to all ordinances adopted by the council except ordinances for reapportionment; amendments to this charter; establishing, altering or modifying council procedure; or appropriating funds for auditing or investigating any part of the executive branch.

(Ord. No. 1525, § 1, adopted 4-24-02)