The first item on the agenda must be the election of chair. The ex chair who returns to preside over a successor ceases to be the acting chair once a new chair is selected (although the ex chair could in a tie have a presiding vote ). Once selected the new chair takes over immediately and the ex chair immediately has their standing changed to a member of the public. I suspect you believe that a chair has more powers and duties than is actually the case. Apart from being able to unilaterally call an extraordinary meeting, the chair does not have any elevated powers over any other councillor and does not have elevated decision making powers or the right to act in pseudo supervisory or disciplinary roles.