Council members are struggling to reach an agreement on how to move forward with the property tax proposal.

Confusion and frustration rippled through the ranks Friday as Boston City Council members struggled to understand how a recently revised tax proposal from Mayor Michelle Wu would move through the chamber’s approval process.

Wu unveiled the overhaul plan two days earlier after months of public advocacy and negotiations between her office and leaders of Greater Boston’s business community. It is intended to protect Boston homeowners from a sharp spike in property taxes by taxing commercial properties above the current legal limit for a three-year period.

The Boston City Council had already approved an old version of the plan with higher taxes on business property over a longer period, but that stalled in the Legislature. Now the council is once again facing the first hurdle in a multi-step approval process that Wu said must be completed by the end of November to provide relief to Boston’s residential ratepayers.

“We are running out of time,” said Council President Ruthzee Louijeune, who acknowledged the approval timeline during Friday’s emergency meeting to formally submit the revised proposal to the council and committee.

Council chairs may call emergency meetings at their discretion, according to council rules. Friday marked the first time the council held a virtual meeting under Louijeune’s leadership and the first time an emergency meeting took place under Louijeune.

“I am trying to get us to take action as quickly as possible and do not want any more unnecessary delays so that we can resolve this matter,” she said.

Louijeune immediately decided to adjourn the meeting after the municipal secretary read the new tax measure into the report. When the vote took place, council members seemed miffed about not being aware of the negotiations that led to the vote and were confused about next steps.

“I also had a point of order,” South Boston Councilman Ed Flynn interjected when it was his turn to vote. Flynn has repeatedly indicated he is considering a mayoral bid next year.

“We are in the middle of a roll call vote on the suspension,” Louijeune replied. “I don’t like to disrupt the mood. Finally, I will accept your point of order.”

“I want to know if there is already a plan to hold a meeting,” said At-Large Councilmember Erin Murphy. “Will there be an expectation that we vote on Wednesday? And is there any expectation that this body will hold a hearing to discuss this new tax proposal? Because it seems like a lot of other people in town have had the, I would say, pleasure (or) opportunity to really be involved in this conversation, but we on the council have not.

When the council voted unanimously in favor of suspension, even more questions arose.

“If we’re just going to have a special meeting so we can put that on the docket and then we’re going to vote on it on Wednesday, I would like to know the protocols, the policies and the procedures, because you didn’t say that,” said at-large councilor Julia Mejia to Louijeune. “So it just felt rushed.”

“This was an emergency meeting, and obviously the first time I’ve ever attended one,” said Dorchester Councilor John FitzGerald, one of five councilors elected just a year ago. “What is an emergency and, you know, who decides that?”

“I’d rather ask all these questions now so we can move on from them,” Flynn said. “Looks like we’re rushing to get the meeting over with.”

“Thank you, and I appreciate that,” Louijeune responded. “Normally, when items are referred to committee… if we treat this as a normal meeting, there is usually no discussion and I didn’t see any hands before we (voted) to adjourn.”

Ultimately, East Boston Councilwoman Gabriela Coletta Zapata, chairwoman of the council’s government committee, said a hearing would take place to allow for public testimony.

Louijeune ended the meeting ended abruptly after a failed attempt to reconsider the postponement.