How many council members are required for a quorum in order to conduct business and take action?
A majority of all council members is a quorum. A quorum must be present at a meeting before business can be transacted. When calculating the number of people that must be present, vacant positions should also be included. For example, for a city with a five-member council, three members must be present to have a quorum, even if there are one or two vacancies. Passage of motions requires a majority vote of a council quorum. Ordinances, amendments and resolutions require majority approval of “all of the members of the council.” According to the Code of Iowa, Chapter 380.4, “all of the members of the council” refers to all council seats, including a vacant seat and a seat where a member is absent, but does not include a seat where the council member declines to vote by reason of a conflict of interest.
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