Ask Mr. Answer Person: "Can Decorah city council members override a veto from the mayor? How many votes would it take?"

Joel e-mails Mr. Answer Person: "Can Decorah City Council members override a veto from the mayor?  How many votes would it take? 5 out of 7 votes would be over two-thirds of the vote.  Is that sufficient?

On that same note, when was the last time the mayor of Decorah vetoed anything?  I can't say I ever remember it happening."

Mr. Answer Person says: The State of Iowa Administrative Code has language which governs how city councils operate in Iowa.  Here's what is says (emphasis added):  "The mayor may veto an ordinance, amendment, or resolution within fourteen days after passage.  The mayor shall explain the reasons for the veto in a written message to the council at the time of the veto.  Within thirty days after the mayor's veto, the council may pass the measure again by a vote of not less than two- thirds of all of the members of the council."

In other words, you are correct that it would take five out of seven votes to override a mayoral veto.

But past experience is that mayors in Decorah haven't so much used the veto as they have threatened to use the veto, then the city council has sought an agreement acceptable to both sides.  That happened the last time a veto was threatened--when Vic Fye was mayor and there was a disagreement about appointments to the Planning & Zoning Commission.  The two sides agreed upon a mutually acceptable third candidate for the position.

The ordinance approving gardening in the city's boulevards passed by a 4-3 vote, which means a mayoral veto would not have enough votes on the city council to be overridden.  That's a powerful incentive for supporters of the measure to continue their negotiations to get a measure that could be supported by all sides involved.