The Clerk-Treasurer shall serve as Clerk to the Council. He
shall attend every meeting of the Council and keep a full and accurate
account of the proceedings of the Council. He shall keep such other
records and perform such other duties as may be required by this Charter
or the Council.
The Mayor with the approval of the Council may appoint a City
Attorney. The City Attorney shall be a member of the bar of the Maryland
Court of Appeals. The City Attorney shall be the legal adviser of
the City and shall perform such duties in this connection as may be
required by the Council or the Mayor. His compensation shall be determined
by the Council. The City shall have the power to employ such legal
consultants as it deems necessary from time to time.
The City shall have the power to employ such officers and employees
as it deems necessary to execute the powers and duties provided by
this Charter or other state law and to operate the City government.
The City may provide by ordinance for appointments and promotions
in the administrative service on the basis of merit and fitness. To
carry out this purpose, the Council shall have the power to adopt
such rules and regulations governing the operation of a merit system
as it deems desirable or necessary. Among other things, these rules
and regulations may provide for competitive examinations, the use
of eligible lists, a classification plan, a compensation plan, a probation
period, appeals by employees included within the classified service
from dismissal or other disciplinary action and vacation and sick
leave regulations. The City may request and avail itself of the facilities
of the Commissioner of State Personnel for the administration of its
merit system as provided in state law.
A.
The civil service of the City shall be divided into the unclassified
and classified service.
B.
The unclassified service shall comprise the following offices and
positions, which shall not be included within the merit system:
C.
The classified service shall comprise all positions not specifically
included by this section in the unclassified service. All offices
and positions included in the classified service shall be subject
to any merit system rules and regulations which may be adopted.
A.
If a merit system is adopted, no person in the classified service
of the City or seeking admission thereto shall be appointed, promoted,
demoted, removed or in any way favored or discriminated against because
of his political or religious opinions or affiliations or any other
factors not related to ability to perform the work; no person shall
willfully or corruptly commit or attempt to commit any fraud preventing
the impartial execution of the personnel provisions of this Charter
or of the rules and regulations made thereunder; no officer or employee
in the classified service of the City shall continue in such position
after becoming a candidate for nomination or election to any public
office; no person seeking appointment to or promotion in the classified
service of the City shall, either directly or indirectly, give, render
or pay any money, service or other valuable thing to any person for
or on account of or in connection with his appointment, proposed appointment,
promotion or proposed promotion; no person shall orally, by letter
or otherwise, solicit or be in any manner concerned in soliciting
any assessment, subscription or contribution for any political party
or political purpose whatever from any person holding a position in
the classified service of the City; and no person holding a position
in the classified service of the City shall make any contribution
to the campaign funds of any political party or any candidate for
public office or take any part in the management, affairs or political
campaign of any political party or candidate for public office, further
than in the exercise of his right as a citizen to express his opinion
and to cast his vote.
B.
Any person who, by himself or with others, willfully or corruptly
violates any of the provisions of this section shall be guilty of
a misdemeanor and shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished as provided
in § C12-4A. Any person who is convicted under this section
shall, for a period of five years, be ineligible for appointment to
or employment in a position in the City service and shall, if he is
an officer or employee of the City, immediately forfeit the office
or position he holds.
[Amended 5-28-1980 by Res. No. 157]
The City shall have the power to do all things necessary to
include its officers and employees or any of them within any retirement
system or pension system under the terms of which they are admissible
and to pay the employer's share of the cost of any such retirement
or pension system out of the general funds of the City.
[Amended 6-9-1999 by Res. No. 288]
The compensation of all officers and employees of the City shall
be determined by the Mayor with the approval of the Council subject
to the restrictions imposed upon establishing the salaries of the
Councilmen and Mayor and to budgetary limitations.
[Amended 5-12-1999 by Res. No. 286; 12-8-2010 by Res. No. 383]
The City is authorized and empowered to provide for or participate
in hospitalization or other forms of benefits or welfare programs
for its employees and to expend public moneys of the City for such
programs.
