City of Saco, ME Article IV Officials and Department Heads

§ 4-7 Funds.

Every City official shall keep an account of all money which may, by virtue of his/her office, come into his/her hands from whatever source, stating from whom received and on what account the same was paid. He/she shall pay such moneys to the City Treasurer at such periods as the City Treasurer may require.

§ 4-8 Preservation of public records.

Each department head shall be held responsible for the preservation of all public records under his/her jurisdiction and shall provide a system of filing and indexing the same. No public records, reports, correspondence or public data relating to the business of any department shall be destroyed or removed permanently from the files without the knowledge and approval of the City Administrator and under due process of law. Each department head shall retain a copy of all communications issued by him/her or his/her department.

§ 4-9 City property.

Each City official who has public property responsibility shall forthwith make, keep up and maintain a list of all such property and deposit this list and amendments thereto over his/her signature with the Treasurer. When any official terminates his/her duties, he/she shall check his/her property list with his/her successor in office or with the City Administrator, if the latter so elects, and obtain a release from property liability prior to receiving his/her final salary payment due. Each official shall promptly reimburse the City for the fair and reasonable value of any property for which he/she is responsible and for which he/she is unable to account, if such loss is due to his/her carelessness or negligence. The amount of such reimbursement shall be determined by the City Council.

§ 4-10 Suits for or against the City.

A. Every City officer having knowledge of any fact concerning any claim or suit for or against the City shall report such fact forthwith to the City Solicitor.

B. It shall be the duty of every employee of the City to report at once, to his/her department head, facts which may come to his/her notice concerning any accident for which the City may be liable; and the heads of the several departments, agencies and officers of the City shall instruct all their employees to report such facts and information as aforesaid. The department head shall report these facts to the City Administrator.

C. No member of the City Council shall act as attorney, agent or representative of any person or corporation in making, prosecuting or presenting before the City Council or any City department or agency or office any claim or demand against the City.

§ 4-11 Powers and duties of department heads.

The heads of departments shall:

A. Perform all duties required by their office by the City Charter, by ordinance or by any other laws, and it shall be the duty of the department head to perform such duties not in conflict therewith as may be assigned by the City Administrator.

B. Be held immediately responsible to the City Administrator for effective administration of their departments and duties, unless otherwise stipulated in the City Charter.

C. Keep abreast with the latest practices and developments in their particular field and inaugurate, with the approval of the City Administrator, any new practice that appears to be of benefit to the service and to the public.

D. Submit reports of the activities of their departments annually and when requested by the City Administrator.

E. Establish and maintain a system of records and reports in sufficient detail to furnish all information necessary for proper control of departmental activities and to form a basis for the reports required by the City Administrator.

F. Have the power to delegate to members of the departments or divisions coming under their jurisdiction any duties and responsibilities as seem advisable, together with proportionate authority for their fulfillment, but in no case may they delegate their overall responsibility or any of their accountability.

G. Have the authority to appoint and remove, subject to the personnel regulations[1] and the authority of the City Administrator, all persons under their employ.

[1] Editor's Note: See also Ch. 34, Personnel.

H. Be responsible for the proper custody and maintenance of all City property used in their departments.

I. Be appointed by the City Administrator and confirmed by the City Council and serve for an indefinite term at the pleasure of the City Administrator.

J. Establish and maintain a system of performance evaluation for all of the personnel within the department.