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 make it through the House’s approval process.

Wu unveiled the overhaul plan two days earlier, after months of public advocacy and negotiations between her office and Greater Boston business community leaders. It is intended to relieve Boston homeowners of a sudden increase in property taxes by taxing commercial properties above the current legal limit for a period of three years.

The Boston City Council already approved an old version of the plan with a higher tax on commercial properties over a longer period of time, but that was blocked in the Legislature. Now, the council is back to being the first hurdle in a multi-step approval process that Wu said must be completed by the end of November to secure the exemption for Boston’s residential taxpayers.

“We are under a time constraint,” said City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune, acknowledging the approval timeline during Friday’s emergency meeting to formally bring the revised proposal before the council and in committee.

Board presidents may call emergency meetings at their discretion, according to board rules. Friday was the first time the council had held a virtual meeting under Louijeune and the first time it had held an emergency meeting under Louijeune.

“I’m trying to get us to act as quickly as possible without wanting any further undue delay so that we can deal with this issue,” she said.

Louijeune immediately decided to adjourn the meeting after the clerk read the new tax measure into the file. As the vote took place, councilors seemed upset that they were not aware of the negotiations that produced it and confused about next steps.

“We also had a procedural reason,” South Boston Councilman Ed Flynn chimed in on his turn to vote. Flynn has repeatedly indicated he is considering a mayoral bid next year.

“We’re in the middle of a roll call vote to adjourn,” Louijeune replied. “I don’t like to disrupt the vote. Finally, I will consider your procedural point.”

“I want to know if there’s already a plan to move forward to have a meeting,” said At-Large Councilwoman Erin Murphy. “There will be an expectation that we will vote on Wednesday. And is there an expectation that this body will have a hearing to discuss this new tax proposal? Because it seems like a lot of other people in town have had, I would say, the pleasure (or) the opportunity to be really engaged in that conversation, but we on the council haven’t been.”

Once the board voted unanimously to postpone, more questions arose.

“If we’re just going to have a special meeting so we can put it on the docket and then bring it up for a vote on Wednesday, I’d like to know the protocols, policies and procedures because you haven’t stated that,” said At- Large Julia Mejia. “So I felt rushed.”

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

“I’d rather ask all these questions now so we can sort them out,” Flynn said. “Looks like we’re in a hurry to get to the end of the meeting.”

“Thanks and I appreciate it,” Louijeune replied. “Normally when items go to committee … if we treat this as a normal meeting, there’s usually no discussion and I haven’t seen any hands before (voting) to adjourn.”

Finally, East Boston Councilwoman Gabriela Coletta Zapata, chairwoman of the council’s government operations committee, said a hearing would be held to allow public testimony.

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