[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the Township of South Strabane 3-17-1964 by Ord. No. 2-1964. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Pensions — See Ch. 30.
Salaries — See Ch. 39.
The office of Township Manager is hereby created by the Township of South Strabane.
The Manager shall be appointed for an indefinite term by a majority of the Board of Supervisors. He shall serve at the pleasure of the Board of Supervisors, and he may be removed at any time by a majority vote of the Board of Supervisors. At least 30 days before such removal is to become effective, the Board of Supervisors shall furnish the Township Manager with a written statement setting forth its intention to remove him.
A. 
The Township Manager shall be chosen solely on the basis of his executive and administrative abilities, with special reference to the duties of his office as herein outlined.
B. 
The Township Manager need not be a resident of South Strabane Township or of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; however, the Board of Supervisors, by resolution, may require the Township Manager to become a resident of the Township within one year of his/her appointment to the position of Township Manager.
[Amended 8-9-2016 by Ord. No. 3-2016]
Before entering upon his duties, the Township Manager shall give a bond to the Township, with a bonding company as surety, to be approved by the Board of Supervisors, in a sum to be determined by the Board of Supervisors, conditioned upon the faithful performance of his duties, the premium for said bond to be paid by the Township.
[Amended 6-26-2011 by Ord. No. 4-2011]
The salary of the Township Manager shall be set annually by the Board of Supervisors.
The Manager shall be the chief administrative officer of the Township, and he shall be responsible to the Board of Supervisors as a whole for the proper and efficient administration of the affairs of the Township. The powers and duties of administration of all Township business shall be vested in the Manager, unless expressly imposed or conferred by statute upon other Township officers. Subject to recall by the Board of Supervisors, the powers and duties of the Township Manager shall include the following:
A. 
He shall supervise and be responsible for the activities of all municipal departments.
B. 
He shall, with the approval of the Board of Supervisors, hire and, when necessary for the good of the service, shall suspend or discharge any employee under his supervision, provided that persons covered by the civil service provisions of the Township Code[1] shall be hired, suspended or discharged in accordance with such provisions, and provided further that the Manager shall report, at the next meeting thereafter of the Board of Supervisors, any action taken by authority of this subsection.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 65101 et seq.
C. 
He shall have the power to fix wages and salaries of all personnel under his supervision, within a range previously determined by the Board of Supervisors.
D. 
He shall prepare and submit to the Board of Supervisors, before the close of each fiscal year, a budget for the next fiscal year and an explanatory budget message. In preparing the budget, the Manager, or an officer designated by him, shall obtain from the head of each department, agency or board, or any qualified officer thereof, estimates and expenditures and such other supporting data as he requires. The Manager shall review such estimates and may revise them before submitting the budget to the Board of Supervisors.
E. 
He shall be responsible for the administration of the budget after its adoption by the Board of Supervisors.
F. 
He shall, in conjunction with the preparation of the yearly budget, develop long-range fiscal plans for the municipality, such plans to be presented annually to the Board of Supervisors for its review and adoption.
G. 
He shall hold such other municipal offices and head such municipal departments as the Board of Supervisors may from time to time direct.
H. 
He shall attend all meetings of the Board of Supervisors, with the right to take part in the discussions, and he shall receive notice of all special meetings of the Board of Supervisors.
I. 
He shall prepare the agenda for each meeting of the Board of Supervisors and supply facts pertinent thereto.
J. 
He shall keep the Board of Supervisors informed as to the conduct of Township affairs, submit periodic reports on the condition of the Township finances and such other reports as the Board of Supervisors requests, and make such recommendations to the Board of Supervisors as he deems advisable.
K. 
He shall submit to the Board of Supervisors, as soon as possible after the close of the fiscal year, a complete report on the finances and the administrative activities of the Township for the preceding year.
L. 
He shall see that the provisions of all franchises, leases, permits, and privileges granted by the Township are observed.
M. 
He may employ, by and with the approval of the Board of Supervisors, experts and consultants to perform work and to advise in connection with any of the functions of the Township.
N. 
He shall attend to the letting of contracts in due form of law, and he shall supervise the performance and faithful execution of the same, except insofar as such duties are expressly imposed by statute upon some other Township officer.
O. 
He shall see that all money owed to the Township is promptly paid and that proper proceedings are taken for the security and collection of all the Township's claims.
P. 
He shall be the purchasing officer of the Township, and he shall purchase, in accordance with the provisions of the Township Code, all supplies and equipment for the agencies, boards, departments, and other offices of the Township. He shall keep an account of all purchases and shall, from time to time or when directed by the Board of Supervisors, make a full written report thereof. He shall also issue rules and regulations, subject to the approval of the Board of Supervisors, governing the procurement of all municipal supplies and equipment.
[Amended 6-26-2011 by Ord. No. 4-2011]
Q. 
All complaints regarding Township services shall be referred to the office of the Manager. He, or an officer designated by him, shall investigate and dispose of such complaints, and the Manager shall report thereon to the Board of Supervisors.
[Added 8-9-2016 by Ord. No. 3-2016]
The Board of Supervisors may enter into an employment agreement with the Township Manager. The employment agreement may set forth the terms and conditions of employment, and the agreement may provide that it shall remain in effect for a specified period terminating no later than two years after the effective date of the agreement or the date of the Board of Supervisors' organizational meeting following the next municipal election, whichever shall first occur. An employment agreement entered into pursuant to this subsection may specify conditions under which a Township Manager would be entitled to severance compensation, but in no event shall an employment agreement guarantee employment through the term of the agreement or confer upon the Township Manager any legal remedy based on specific performance.