The Mayor shall be Chief Administrative Officer and head of
the administrative branch of the city government. He shall execute
the laws and ordinances and administer the government of the city,
and shall be responsible therefor to the Commission. He shall:
1. Appoint, subject to the confirmation of the Commission, and when
deemed necessary for the good of the service, lay off, suspend, demote,
or remove all directors, or heads of administrative departments and
all other administrative officers and employees of the city except
the City Attorney or Municipal Judge, except as he or the Commission
by ordinance or this charter may authorize the head of a department,
an officer or agency to appoint, lay off or suspend, demote and/or
remove subordinates in such department, office or agency;
2. Supervise and control, directly or indirectly, all administrative
departments, agencies, officers and employees appointed as provided
immediately above;
3. Prepare a budget annually and submit it to the Commission, be responsible
for the administration of the budget after it goes into effect, and
recommend to the Commission any changes in the budget which he deems
desirable;
4. Submit to the Commission a report as of the end of the fiscal year
on the finances and administrative activities of the city for the
preceding year;
5. Keep the Commission advised of the financial condition and future
needs of the city, make such recommendation on matters of policy and
other matters to the Commission as may seem to him desirable;
6. Have such other powers, duties and functions as this charter may
prescribe, and such powers, duties and functions consistent with this
charter as the Commission may prescribe.
If the Mayor is absent from the city or is unable to perform
his duties, or if there is a vacancy in the office of the Mayor, the
Commission may appoint the Vice-Mayor to serve until the Mayor returns,
until his disability or suspension ceases, or until another Mayor
is elected and qualifies, as the case may be, his compensation to
be fixed by the Commission.
There shall be such administrative departments, offices and
agencies as this charter established and as the Commission may establish
by ordinance. Each administrative department shall be headed by a
director with appropriate title appointed by the Mayor and confirmed
by the Commission, except in case of the City Attorney and Municipal
Judge, or by a board whose members are appointed by the Mayor as this
charter or the Commission by ordinance may determine.
There shall be a City Attorney, who shall be an officer of the
city appointed by the Commission for an indefinite term, and who shall
be director, or head, of the Department of Law. The Commission shall
appoint all other personnel in the department unless it delegates
the power to appoint designated personnel to the City Attorney. The
City Attorney shall, on request advise the Commission, the Mayor,
and all other officers and agencies of the city government regarding
their legal power, duties, and functions, and draft or assist in drafting
legal documents. He or an attorney in his department shall represent
the city as attorney in all civil and criminal proceedings in which
the city is interested unless the Commission secures special counsel
for particular proceedings.
The office of City Treasurer is hereby established, his duties
to include the receiving and keeping of all money of the city which
may come into his hands and disburse same upon proper order and warrants
of the city officials, and keep satisfactory account thereof. The
method of appointment, qualifications, term, compensation and other
aspects of said position are to be prescribed by ordinance, and further
permitting the City Commissioners to combine the office of City Treasurer
with City Clerk.