[Added 3-15-2004 by Ord. No. 2245]
There is hereby created the appointed City office of City Administrator. The City Administrator shall be appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the City Council. (65 ILCS 5/3.1-30-5) The City Administrator may be removed by the Mayor, subject to reinstatement by two-thirds vote of the City Council in accordance with 65 ILCS 5/3.1-35-10 of the Illinois Municipal Code.
The City Administrator shall be appointed on the basis of education and professional ability. The appointment shall be made without regard to political considerations, race, religion, age or sex. The successful candidate need not be a resident of the City at the time of appointment, but shall become a resident within six months of assuming office, unless said residence requirement is altered or waived by the Mayor and Aldermen.
The City Administrator may be suspended from office by resolution approved by the majority of the members of the City Council holding office, which resolution shall set forth the reasons for the suspension and proposed removal. A copy of such resolution shall be served immediately upon the City Administrator. The City Administrator shall have 15 days in which to reply to the resolution in writing and, upon request, shall be afforded a public hearing before the City Council, which shall occur not earlier than 10 days nor later than 15 days after such hearing is requested. After the public hearing, if a public hearing is requested, and after full consideration, the Mayor may remove the City Administrator from office in accordance with the procedure established by the Illinois Municipal Code (65 ILCS 5/3.1-35-10), and subject to override of the Mayor's decision for removal of the City Administrator from office by two-thirds vote of the City Council as is made and provided for in 65 ILCS 5/3.1-35-10 of the Illinois Municipal Code. The City Administrator shall continue to receive full salary until the date of his removal from office, in the event he is removed from office pursuant hereto.
In discharging the responsibilities of City Administrator, the City Administrator shall:
A. 
Coordinate and supervise the activities of all the various departments, commissions and boards of the City.
B. 
Direct the day-to-day activities of each department through the appropriate department head.
C. 
Assist the Mayor and committee chairmen with the preparation of the agenda for meetings of the City Council and committees.
D. 
Keep the Mayor and Aldermen informed of the activities of the various departments.
E. 
Keep the Mayor and Aldermen informed of the fiscal condition of each of the City funds.
F. 
Act as purchasing agent for the City within limitations and under conditions as established from time to time by the City Council.
G. 
Assume the duties of Budget Officer of the City as defined in 65 ILCS 5/8-2-9.1 of the Illinois Municipal Code. There shall be no additional remuneration for acting as Budget Officer of the City.
H. 
Appoint (and to the extent allowed by the City's Personnel Code[1]) and, when necessary, suspend or remove all department heads, with the advice and consent of the City Council. All appointments shall be based solely upon merit and fitness for the job, and all suspensions and dismissals shall be for cause, without regard to race, sex, religious conviction, or political belief or affiliation.
[1]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 85, Personnel Code.
I. 
Attend and participate in all meetings of the City Council, Plan Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals, Street Graphics Committee, Heritage and Preservation Commission and Library Board, unless excused from attending by the Mayor or City Council. Participation does not include the right to vote.
J. 
Effectively and efficiently administer the policies adopted by the Mayor and City Council.
K. 
Recommend various courses of action to the Mayor and Aldermen, along with possible alternatives.
L. 
Promote good relations with other governmental agencies and the public.
M. 
Enforce or oversee the enforcement of the Municipal Code of Ordinances of the City of Columbia.
N. 
Perform such other tasks which may be required of him or her from time to time by the Mayor and City Council.
O. 
Oversee, in the ordinary course of business, all purchases of materials and supplies necessary for the City as provided for in the annual budget ordinance; provided that on purchase of more than $25,000 (except as provided in Chapter 90, Purchasing, § 90-12, of the City Code), the City Administrator shall first procure the approval of the City Council before making such purchases. In such cases, the City Administrator shall comply with the statutory provisions requiring the solicitation of bids.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)[2]]
[2]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also repealed former Subsection (P), Emergency purchases exception, as amended, which immediately followed this subsection.
P. 
Recommend to the City Council a classification pay and benefit plan. Recommend other courses of action and possible alternatives.
Q. 
Promulgate administrative rules and regulations as long as they are not in conflict with other local or state laws.[3]
[3]
Editor's Note: Original Sec. 2.17.050 of the 1997 Code, Bond, which immediately followed this section, was repealed at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
Except as otherwise provided by state law or City ordinance, elected and appointed City officers shall deal with the administrative services of the City through the City Administrator and shall not give orders to subordinates of the City Administrator, either publicly or privately.
If, because of a temporary absence, disability or illness, the City Administrator is unable to carry out the functions of this office, the Mayor, subject to the advice and consent of the City Council, may appoint a member of the City's senior administrative staff or a consultant to serve as Acting Administrator and carry out the duties of the City Administrator during the City Administrator's absence.
Nothing in this article shall be deemed to diminish or detract from the statutory powers and authority of the City's elected officials.
The salary of the City Administrator shall be determined by ordinance by the Mayor and Aldermen on an annual basis.
[Added 6-7-2004 by Ord. No. 2270]
The benefits to be provided to the City Administrator, in addition to the salary to be paid to the City Administrator, shall be determined by the City Council by enactment of an ordinance and/or making and entering into a service agreement for the employment of the person appointed to serve as City Administrator.