Town of Mount Airy, MD Article IV Mayor

§ C4-1 Election; term.

[Amended 1-15-1990 by Res. No. 1989-1; 11-7-2011 by Res. No. 2011-01]

The Mayor shall be elected as hereinafter provided and shall hold office for a term of four years or until a successor is elected and qualified. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the term of the Mayor elected on the first Monday of May, 2014 shall be three years or until a successor is elected and qualified. Thereafter, starting with the term of the Mayor elected on the first Monday of May, 2017, the term of the office of Mayor shall be four years or until a successor is elected and qualified. The Mayor shall take office on the third Monday in May following the election to office. The Mayor holding office at the time this provision becomes effective shall continue to hold office until a successor is elected and qualified.

§ C4-2 Qualifications.

The Mayor must have resided in the Town of Mount Airy for at least two years immediately preceding his election; must be at least 25 years of age and must be a qualified voter of the Town.

§ C4-3 Salary.

The Mayor shall receive a salary of $500 per year for his services. The Council may by ordinance increase or decrease the compensation herein provided; provided however, that no change shall be made in the salary for any Mayor during the term for which he was elected. The ordinance making any change in the salary paid to the Mayor shall be finally ordained prior to the municipal election to elect the next succeeding Mayor and shall take effect only as to the next succeeding Mayor.

§ C4-4 Powers.

A. Executive duties. The Mayor shall see that the ordinances of the Town are faithfully executed and shall be the chief executive officer and the head of the administrative branch of the Town government. The Mayor shall be responsible for the administration of the Town's affairs to the Council and to the voters of the Town.

B. Appointments.

[Amended 2-1-2010 by Res. No. 2010-01]

(1) The Mayor shall appoint all the officers and hire full-time managerial employees, and those promoted by appointment, hiring or reorganization to managerial positions, except the Council Secretary and the Town Clerk of the government of the Town of Mount Airy as established by this Charter or by ordinance of the Council, with the advice and consent of the Council. Budgeted interns, part-time employees, seasonal hire employees, and full-time nonmanagerial employees may be hired directly by the Mayor following advertisement and interview conducted by the Town Administrator and Department Head without the advice and consent of the Town Council. For the purposes of this section, a "managerial employee" shall mean an employee whose primary duties include direct oversight of, and assignment of work to, two or more other employees, the authority to interview and recommend to the Mayor the hiring and firing of those employees, as well as the authority to evaluate and discipline those employees. Those positions that are managerial in nature shall include, but not be limited to, the Town Administrator, Town Clerk, Council Secretary, the Zoning Administrator, the Town Planner, and the Town Engineer, and the Chief of Police, but shall not include police officers of the Town Police Department under the Chief of Police’s command irrespective of rank. All officers and employees so appointed shall serve at the pleasure of the Mayor, except as set forth in Subsection (2) below. The Mayor shall make said appointments annually on or before the first Monday in June and may make additional appointments and fill vacancies at such other times as may be necessary in his judgment. The Mayor may appoint from among the registered voters such advisory committees or boards as he may deem appropriate.

[Amended 9-10-2012 by Res. No. 2012-2; 5-6-2013 by Res. No. 2013-2; 5-2-2016 by Res. No. 2016-3]

(2) All officers and employees that serve at the pleasure of the Mayor may have their employment terminated by the Mayor at any time without cause. That termination shall only be effective until the next meeting of the Council, at which time the Council if it so chooses may override the termination by the votes of supermajority of the members of the Council eligible to vote on the matter.

[Amended 10-1-2012 by Res. No. 2012-1]

(a) For the purposes of this subsection, "supermajority" shall mean:

[1] In the case of five members of the Council eligible to vote, four affirmative votes; or

[2] In the case of four members of the Council eligible to vote, three affirmative votes.

(b) The Council President shall be ineligible to vote on the Town Council's review of a termination if at the time of termination the Council President:

[1] Was also the Mayor or acting Mayor, due to the permanent or temporary incapacity of the Mayor and/or due to a vacancy in the Office of Mayor; and

[2] Had terminated the employee whose termination is under review by the Town Council. Otherwise, all Town Council members are eligible to vote on the review of a termination pursuant to this subsection.

(c) If the Council takes no action the termination shall remain in effect.

C. Vetoes. The Mayor shall have the power to veto ordinances passed by the Council as provided in § C2-16.

D. Finances. The Mayor shall be the Chief Financial Officer of the Town and shall be responsible for the financial administration of the Town government. The Mayor shall consult with the Town Administrator regarding the finances of the Town.

[Amended 6-6-2022 by Res. No. 2021-2]

E. Other powers and duties. The Mayor shall have such other powers and perform such other duties as may be prescribed by this Charter or as may be required of him by the Council, not inconsistent with this Charter.