The City Council shall appoint a City Manager who shall be the Chief Administrative Officer and the head of the administrative branch of the city government. The City Manager shall:
(1) 
Serve at the pleasure of the City Council, pursuant to a written employment agreement establishing such things as salary, notice of termination, severance pay, vacation, pension benefits and related conditions of employment.
(2) 
Attend City Council meetings. The City Manager shall have the right to take part in discussions but shall not vote.
(3) 
Keep the City Council fully advised as to the financial condition and future needs of the City.
(4) 
Submit the City budget to the City Council, in consultation with administrative officers and/or other employees.
(5) 
Make recommendations to the City Council concerning the affairs of the City.
(6) 
Perform such other duties and make such reports as are specified in this Charter or may be required by the City Council.
(7) 
Possess such other powers as may be granted or required by the City Council, so far as may be consistent with the provisions of the law.
(8) 
Direct and supervise the administration of all departments, offices and agencies of the City under the direction and supervision of the City Manager, except as otherwise provided by this Charter or by law and shall carry out the policies formulated by the City Council.
(9) 
Appoint and, when necessary for the good of the service, suspend or remove all City employees under the direction and supervision of the City Manager, including administrative officers as provided in § C5-4, except as otherwise provided by law. The City Manager may authorize any administrative officer, subject to the City Manager's direction and supervision, to exercise these powers with respect to subordinates of that officer's department, office or agency.
(10) 
Be charged with the preservation of the public peace and health and the safety of persons and property, and shall see to the enforcement of City ordinances, this Charter and state laws.
(11) 
Establish any rules necessary to carry out the duties of the office of City Manager.
(12) 
File notice with the City Clerk designating a qualified City administrative officer to exercise the powers and perform the duties of City Manager during any temporary absence or disability of thirty (30) days or less. When said absences or disabilities exceed thirty (30) days, an Acting City Manager shall be appointed by the City Council.
(13) 
Provide clerical support services for the City Council.
The City Manager shall be chosen on the basis of his or her executive and administrative qualifications with special reference to his or her training and actual experiences in municipal administration. No member of the City Council shall be eligible for appointment as City Manager until two (2) years subsequent to the termination of his or her service on the City Council.
(a) 
The City Manager may be removed by a majority vote of the members of the City Council as herein provided, except that no City Manager who has been in the service of the City for one (1) year or more prior to a City general election for City Council shall be removed within the ninety (90) days subsequent to such election unless by an affirmative vote of five (5) members of the City Council.
(b) 
At least thirty (30) days before removal of the City Manager, the City Council shall adopt a resolution stating its intention to remove him or her and the reasons therefor, a copy of which shall be served forthwith on the City Manager, who may within ten (10) business days demand a public hearing, in which event the final resolution removing the City Manager shall not be adopted until such public hearing has been held. Upon passage of a resolution stating the City Council's intention to remove the City Manager, the City Council may suspend him or her from duty, but his or her pay shall continue until his or her removal. The action of the City Council in removing the City Manager shall be final.
(a) 
The City Manager shall have the power to appoint and remove, subject to the provisions of this Charter, the City Clerk, City Treasurer, City Assessor, City Attorney, Director of Finance, Police Chief, Fire Chief and such other administrative officers and employees of the City as may be deemed necessary. The City Manager may authorize administrative officers responsible to him or her to appoint and remove subordinates in such department or office. The appointments made by or under authority of the City Manager shall be based on the experience, training and ability of such appointees for the work they are to perform.
(b) 
All administrative officers and employees of the City shall perform such duties as are provided by law, this Charter, City ordinances and/or directives of the City Manager. Administrative officers shall exercise and possess all of the powers, privileges and immunities granted to officers exercising the same general duties under the law.
(c) 
The compensation of administrative officers and employees shall be recommended by the City Manager and approved by the City Council in accordance with budget appropriations.
Neither the City Council, nor any of its individual members, shall direct or request the appointment or removal of any person from office or employment by the City Manager or any of his or her subordinates. Except for the purpose of inquiry, the City Council and its members shall deal with the administrative service solely through the City Manager; and neither the City Council, nor any individual members thereof, shall give orders to any subordinate of the City Manager either publicly or privately.
The administrative service shall be divided into such departments, divisions and bureaus as may be provided by ordinance upon recommendation of the City Manager. Such ordinance shall be known as "Administrative Code." Pending the passage of any code or amendments, the City Manager may establish temporary regulations. Each administrative officer or director shall, subject to approval by the City Manager, have supervision and control of his or her department and shall have power to prescribe rules and regulations not inconsistent with this Charter and the Administrative Code.
The City Council shall provide by ordinance for a merit system of personnel management for employees in the service of the City and for a Personnel Appeals Board for all employees not covered by a collective bargaining agreement.