[CC 1974 §2-116; Rev. Ords. 1929, No. 4 §1; Ord. No. 1483 §2, 12-9-1992]
The City Attorney shall be appointed by the Mayor with the consent
and approval of the majority of the members of the City Council and
shall serve at the pleasure of the Mayor and City Council until his/her
services are terminated or his/her successor is appointed.
[CC 1974 §2-117; Rev. Ords. 1929, No. 4 §2; Ord. No. 1483 §3, 12-9-1992]
To be eligible for the office of City Attorney, the person appointed
to the office of City Attorney must be at least twenty-one (21) years
of age, of good moral character, and licensed to practice law in the
State of Missouri.
[CC 1974 §2-118; Rev. Ords. 1929, No. 4 §§3,
9; Ord. No. 902 §1, 3-19-1975]
A.
The
City Attorney shall prosecute all persons charged with violating the
ordinances of the City, and to that end he/she shall attend the Municipal
Court when in session and prosecute all complaints, suits or proceedings
that may be brought by the City therein or in which the City may be
interested. He/she shall attend and prosecute on behalf of the City
all suits instituted for the collection of delinquent and back taxes
and all suits or proceedings brought to enforce payment of any other
tax, license or revenue whatsoever due the City. In all cases, except
as may be otherwise provided by law or ordered by the Mayor and City
Council, he/she shall prosecute appeals from the Municipal Court in
which the City is concerned.
B.
He/she
shall examine and inspect tax and assessment rolls and all proceedings
in reference to the collection of taxes and assessments and shall
perform such other professional services as incident to his/her office
as may in any case be required by the City Council or any of its committees
or officers.
[CC 1974 §2-119; Rev. Ords. 1929, No. 4 §4; Ord. No. 902 §1, 3-19-1975]
The City Attorney shall give his/her opinion to any officer
of the City respecting his/her duties or respecting questions of law
concerning his/her duties in which the City is interested, and such
opinion shall be in writing when so demanded by the Council.
[CC 1974 §2-120; Rev. Ords. 1929, No. 4 §5; Ord. No. 902 §1, 3-19-1975]
In all proceedings for the condemnation of private property
for public use, it shall be the duty of the City Attorney, if requested
by the City Counselor and the Mayor and Council of the City of Richmond,
to cooperate with the City Counselor to prepare all legal papers connected
therewith and see that all notices, returns of service thereon, verdicts
of juries, and all other proceedings are in proper form and in accordance
with the laws of the State governing Cities of the Third Class and
the ordinances of the City.
[CC 1974 §2-121; Rev. Ords. 1929, No. 4 §6; Ord. No. 902 §1, 3-19-1975]
The City Attorney shall report to the City Council in writing
the progress of any suits in which he/she may be representing the
City from time to time as necessary.
[CC 1974 §2-122; Rev. Ords. 1929, No. 4 §7; Ord. No. 902 §1, 3-19-1975]
If the City Attorney shall be interested in, or a party to,
any suit or proceedings against the City, or shall have been employed
as counsel in any case against the City in which it shall be his/her
duty to prosecute or defend, he/she shall inform the Mayor and City
Council thereof, who shall appoint some competent attorney to represent
the City in such suit or proceedings.
[CC 1974 §2-123; Rev. Ords. 1929, No. 4 §8]
In case of sickness, absence from the City or other temporary
inability of the City Attorney to discharge the duties of his/her
office, he/she may, with the approval of the Mayor and appoint some
competent Attorney to act in his/her stead during such sickness, absence
from the City or other inability to act as City Attorney.
[CC 1974 §2-124; Rev. Ords. 1929, No. 4 §10; Ord. No. 902 §1, 3-19-1975]
Upon the recommendation of the City Attorney, or whenever in
its judgment the same may be necessary, the City Council may, by resolution,
employ additional counsel to assist the City Attorney in the performance
of his/her duties as specified hereunder or in the prosecution or
defense of any suit or action under the scope of his/her duties brought
by the City. The counsel so employed shall be entitled to receive
a reasonable fee for his/her services; provided, that nothing in this
Section shall be so construed as to authorize the employment of additional
counsel in prosecutions before the Municipal Judge.
[CC 1974 §2-125; Rev. Ords. 1929, No. 4 §11]
No person, except the City Counselor, not employed as provided
in this Article shall receive any fee or other compensation from the
City for any legal services rendered by him/her in any suit to which
the City is a party.
[CC 1974 §2-126; Rev. Ords. 1929, No. 4 §13]
If the City Attorney shall willfully neglect, fail or refuse
to discharge any duty devolving upon him/her by virtue of the provisions
of this Article, he/she shall be deemed guilty of an ordinance violation.
