The Council shall, by ordinance, create, alter
or abolish and prescribe the functions of the city departments, agencies
and offices not inconsistent with general law or this Charter.
The Council shall, by ordinance, adopt an Administrative
Code, which shall provide for the administrative organization of the
city government, the assignment of duties and responsibilities to
officers and employees and the procedural requirements set forth in
the general laws or in the Charter. All changes in organization and
procedures set forth in the Administrative Code shall be effected
by amendment to the Administrative Code in the same manner as other
ordinances are enacted and amended.
The heads of all departments and all other officers
not otherwise provided for in this Charter shall be appointed by the
Manager with the approval of a majority of the total membership of
the Council. Department heads shall appoint the subordinate employees
with the approval of the Manager under the personnel rules and regulations
established by the Administrative Code or other ordinances in accordance
with the Charter.
The Council may create, modify or abolish boards, commissions, authorities or other agencies and special committees of the city government if not inconsistent with general laws or this Charter. The Council shall appoint by a majority vote of its total membership, subject to §
2-203, the members of such agencies if not otherwise provided by this Charter or general law.
The Council shall adopt in the Administrative
Code or other ordinance a comprehensive system of personnel administration
based on merit principles, which shall include, but not be limited
to, provisions for:
A. The classification of all city positions, based on
duties, authority or responsibility of each position, with provision
for reclassification of any position whenever circumstances require.
B. A pay plan for all city positions.
C. Methods for determining merit and fitness of candidates
for appointment or promotion.
D. Policies and procedures regulating reductions in force,
disciplinary actions and suspension and removal of employees.
E. Hours of work and provisions for sick and vacation
leave and holidays, overtime, compensatory time off and/or compensation
for same.
F. Grievance procedures, including those for hearing
of grievances.
G. Other practices and procedures necessary to the administration
of the city personnel system.
Each department head may designate, with the
approval of the Manager, an employee of the department to serve as
acting head of the department during the temporary absence or disability
of the department head. In the absence of such a designation, the
Manager shall designate an acting department head.
The compensation of all officers and department heads, if not otherwise provided for in this Charter, shall be set by the Council in the Administrative Code or other ordinance and may be changed from time to time by amendment of the same at the discretion of the Council. Compensation of employees other than officers and department heads shall be in accordance with the pay plan established under §
2-505 of this Charter.
The Council, by a majority vote of its total
membership, shall appoint a City Solicitor, who shall serve at the
pleasure of the Council, with compensation to be set by the Council.
The Solicitor shall be a member of the Bar of the Supreme Court of
Pennsylvania and experienced in municipal law. The Solicitor shall
serve as the legal counsel for the city government, including the
Council, the Manager and other officers and departments and agencies
of the city government except as may otherwise be required by law.
The Solicitor shall represent the city in all legal proceedings and
shall perform such duties as prescribed by law, by this Charter or
action of the Council. It is the intent of this Charter that only
one person shall be the legal advisor of the city except as may be
otherwise required by law. The Council may authorize temporary assistants
for special purposes from time to time.
The Manager, with the approval of the majority
of the total membership of the Council, shall appoint and fix the
compensation of the City Engineer, who shall be a professional civil
engineer registered in Pennsylvania or an engineering firm similarly
registered. The City Engineer or engineering firm shall perform the
duties required by the Council through the Administrative Code or
other action or as may be required of the City Engineer by general
law.
The Manager, with the approval of the majority
vote of the total membership of the Council, shall appoint a Director
of Finance, who shall be qualified, by education and/or experience
in accounting or financial management, to supervise, in cooperation
with the Manager, the financial administration of the city and perform
such duties as prescribed for such officer in this Charter and as
the Council may require in the Administrative Code or other ordinance.