The municipal corporation created by vote of the electors March
8, 1965, and known as the City of New Buffalo, Berrien County, Michigan,
shall continue as a body corporate under the same name.
The City shall embrace the territory constituting the City of
New Buffalo on the effective date of this Charter, together with such
annexations thereto and less any detachments therefrom that may be
made from time to time. Upon annexation or detachment of territory,
the boundaries shall be deemed to be changed without amendment of
this Section. The Clerk shall maintain and keep available in his office
an official description and map of the current boundaries of the City
for public inspection and distribution.
Unless otherwise provided or limited in this Charter, the City
and its officers shall be vested with all of the powers, privileges
and immunities, expressed or implied, which cities and their officers
are permitted to exercise or provide for in their Charters under the
Constitution and laws of the State of Michigan and of the United States
of America. This shall include all powers, privileges and immunities
which cities have or may have under and by virtue of Act No. 279,
Public Acts of 1909, as amended, and also all powers, privileges and immunities conferred
upon cities by Act No. 215, Public Acts of 1895, as amended, commonly
known as the Fourth Class City Act.
The City shall have the power to create and establish a Retirement
System for the officers and employees of the City; to provide pensions,
annuities and other benefits for the officers and employees of the
City and their beneficiaries; to create a Board of Trustees to administer
the Retirement System and to prescribe the powers and duties of such
Board; to provide for contributions to the Retirement System by the
City and by the officers and employees of the City; to provide for
the investment and reinvestment of monies and other assets for the
Retirement System; and to do and accomplish all other acts necessary
in the creation and operation of such system.
The City may maintain, amend and improve the merit or civil
service system presently in effect. The purpose of the system is to
afford all interested persons a fair and equal opportunity for public
service, to establish conditions of service which will attract employees
of character and capacity, and to increase the efficiency of City
Departments by the improvement of methods of personnel administration.
The Council may establish by ordinance independent boards or
commissions, such as Planning, Zoning, Civil Service, Harbor Development
and Improvement, Recreation and Public Housing, whenever the same
are authorized and permitted by law. As far as possible, the terms
of all members of independent boards or commissions shall expire at
the same time. New appointments shall also be made at the same time
as far as possible.
The City shall have power to join with any governmental unit
or agency, or with any number or combination thereof by contract or
otherwise as may be permitted by law, to perform jointly, or by one
or more of them, for or on behalf of the other or others, any power
or duty which is permitted to be so performed by law or which is possessed
or imposed on each governmental unit or agency.