§ 9. Absence from council meetings.

Each member of the city council, as well as the mayor, may be fined two dollars ($2.00) for each meeting which he fails to attend unless on leave of absence previously granted or because of illness. Any member of the city council or the mayor remaining absent from three (3) consecutive meetings of the city council without first having obtained leave of absence at a regular or officially called meeting may be deemed to have vacated his office and, at its option, the city council may declare such vacancy to exist and, if so, shall proceed to fill the vacancy thereby created in the same manner as other vacancies are to be filled.