[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors
of the Township of West Goshen 1-3-1967 by Ord. No. 1-1967.
Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Amended 5-22-2024 by Ord. No. 5-2024]
The Township Manager shall be appointed by a
majority of all members of the Board of Supervisors and shall be subject
to removal by the Supervisors by majority vote. The Township Manager
shall serve at the pleasure of the Board of Supervisors, subject to
contractual rights that may arise under an employment agreement that
may be entered into in accordance with the Second Class Township Code.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 65101 et seq.
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. He need
not be a resident of the township or of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
at the time of his appointment, but during the tenure of his office
he may reside outside the township only with the approval of the Board
of Supervisors. In the event that the Supervisors fail within a reasonable
time, not to exceed 60 days after the appointment, to approve the
Manager's residence outside the township, he must immediately become
and, during his tenure, remain a resident of the township.
[Amended 4-5-1967 by Ord. No. 2-1967]
Before entering upon his duties, the Manager
shall give a bond to the township with approved surety to be approved
by the Board of Supervisors in the sum of $10,000, conditioned upon
the faithful performance of his duties, the premium for said bond
to be paid by the township.
[Amended 3-5-1970 by Ord. No. 3-1970;12-28-1982 by Ord. No.
9-1982; 5-22-2024 by Ord. No. 5-2024]
The annual salary of the Township Manager shall
be fixed annually by resolution of the Supervisors and shall be set
forth in the budget, the actual amount to be as fixed in the budget
at the beginning of the year or by subsequent resolution of the Supervisors
in the event that the Manager is hired after the adoption of the budget.
The Manager may be entitled to severance pay pursuant to the terms
of an employment agreement that may be entered into in accordance
with the Second Class Township Code.[1] In like manner, the Supervisors shall annually fix the
salary to be paid to the Assistant Township Manager in accordance
with the procedure set by this section.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 65101 et seq.
A.
The Township 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 Township Manager,
except for any legislative powers and duties, and all duties hereby
delegated shall be subject to recall at any time by the Board of Supervisors.
This delegation shall not include any powers and duties expressly
imposed or conferred by statute upon other township officers.
B.
Subject to the general supervisory and recall powers
of the Board of Supervisors and its legislative discretion to amend
the provisions of this chapter, the Township Manager's powers and
duties shall include the following:
[Amended 12-13-1994 by Ord. No. 6-1994]
(1)
Supervise and be responsible for the activities of
all municipal departments and their employees; provided that the Chief
of Police shall have and retain direct supervisory control over the
operations of the Police Department and all police officers serving
under the Chief and shall report directly to the Board of Supervisors.
As to all municipal departments, the Township Manager shall have and
retain supervisory responsibility for the administration of all fiscal
matters pertaining to all municipal departments without exception.
[Amended 7-25-2001 by Ord. No. 9-2001; 4-20-2021 by Ord. No. 5-2021]
(2)
Hire and promote and, when necessary or appropriate,
discipline, demote, suspend or discharge any township employee, except
uniformed members of the Police Department, whose terms of employment,
suspension and termination shall be subject to the direct supervisory
authority of the Board of Supervisors, subject to provisions of the
Pennsylvania Police Tenure Act[1] and any other applicable statutes and laws of the commonwealth.
All such administrative actions taken by the Manager shall be promptly
reported to the Board of Supervisors in writing.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 811
et seq.
(3)
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.
(4)
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 of revenues 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.
(5)
He shall be responsible for the administration of
the budget after its adoption by the Board of Supervisors.
(6)
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.
(7)
He shall hold such other municipal offices and head
such municipal departments as the Board of Supervisors may from time
to time direct.
(8)
He shall attend all meetings of the Board of Supervisors
and its committees with the right to take part in the discussions,
and he shall receive notice of all special meetings of the Board of
Supervisors and its committees.
(9)
He shall prepare the agenda for each meeting of the
Board of Supervisors and supply facts pertinent thereto.
(10)
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.
(11)
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.
(12)
He shall see that the provisions of all franchises,
leases, permits and privileges granted by the township are observed.
(13)
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.
(14)
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.
(15)
He shall see that all money owed the township is promptly
paid and that proper proceedings are taken for the security and collection
of all the township's claims.
(16)
He shall be the purchasing officer of the township.
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.
(17)
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.
Neither the Board of Supervisors, its members
nor its committees shall dictate or influence or attempt to dictate
or influence the hiring of any person to or his discharge from municipal
employment by the Manager or in any manner take part in the hiring,
suspending or discharging of employees in the administrative service
of the township, except as required by any civil service provision
of state law and except for the appointing or discharging of all department
heads and other employees whose appointments by the Board of Supervisors
are provided for in the ordinances of the township; provided, however,
that the general supervision of such department heads and employees
shall be the duty of the Township Manager. Other than for the purposes
of inquiry, the Board of Supervisors or any of its members or any
of the committees or their members shall deal with the administrative
service solely through the Township Manager, and neither the Board
of Supervisors nor any of its members nor any of its committees or
their members shall give orders, publicly or privately, to any subordinate
of the Manager.
If the Manager becomes ill or needs to be absent
from the township, the Assistant Manager shall perform the duties
of the Manager during his absence or disability.
