[Added 5-8-2006 by HR
2006-05, amended 3-5-2012 by HR
2012-01, 12-2-2016 by HR 2016-01]
The City Council shall appoint a City Administrator who shall
report directly to the Mayor and to the City Council. The City Administrator
shall hire Department Directors pursuant to the City budget appropriations
enacted by the City Council. The City Administrator may also hire
such other official employees as the City Administrator deems appropriate
and as authorized by the City budget appropriations. All Department
Directors and other Officials if so directed, shall report to the
City Administrator who shall be their immediate supervisor. However,
one (1) individual may also serve as Directror of more than one (1)
department if the City Administrator shall so organize and direct.
Only the City Administrator, the Mayor and the appointed Department
Directors and those officials or designees or employees in the chain
of command may give direct orders to City employees. The City Council
shall have the power to organize, reorganize, dissolve, merge or create
departments and systems of developing services to enter into contracts
for services with independent contractors or employees, as the City
deems necessary, to execute the powers and duties provided by this
Charter or other state law and to operate the City Government.
[Added 8-6-1979 by HR
No. 7-79, amended 5-8-2006 by
HR 2006-05, 3-5-2012 by HR 2012-01, 1-27-2014 by HR 2014-01, 12-2-2016 by HR 2016-01]
A. General powers. The City Council shall appoint a City Administrator,
who shall serve at the pleasure of the City Council, unless other
written terms are agreed to by the City, and who shall be responsible
for the proper administration of all day-to-day affairs of the City.
The City Administrator shall be vested with the powers and authority
necessary to perform such duties, except where they may be inconsistent
with other provisions of this Charter. The City Administrator shall
have general administrative supervision of the departments of the
City and the authority, through the Department Directors to direct
the proper execution of this Charter, the City Code and such resolutions,
regulations and policies as the Council shall adopt. In addition,
the City Administrator shall perform such other duties as the Council
may lawfully require.
B. Specific duties and responsibilities. The duties and responsibilities
of the City Administrator include the following under the supervision
of the Mayor and City Council. The City Administrator, unless otherwise
directed, shall:
(1) Organize, direct and supervise the administration of all departments,
offices and agencies of the City.
(2) Hire, direct, advise, discipline and terminate the Department Directors,
as well as hire and when in the best interest of the City, discipline,
demote, dismiss, suspend or remove any City employee pursuant to this
Charter, the Code and/or the Personnel Regulations of the City. The
City Administrator may authorize any Department Director to exercise
these powers with respect to subordinates in their department as provided
for in the personnel rules of the City. The City Administrator shall
regularly and promptly inform the City Council of the hiring, discipline
or termination of any Department Director.
[Amended 12-19-1983 by
HR No. 31-83]
(3) See that all laws, provisions of the City Charter and acts of the
City Council are faithfully executed.
(4) Prepare and submit to the City Council, ordinarily by the first meeting
in April of each year and no later than sixty (60) days before the
beginning of the fiscal year, a proposed budget for the City, the
same to include both revenue and expenditure estimates for the coming
fiscal year.
(5) Attend all public meetings of the City Council and shall have the
right to participate in discussion at such meetings.
(6) Arrange for the taking of minutes of all City Council meetings and
keep a full and accurate account of the proceedings of the City Council.
(7) Undertake such research and make reports and recommendations as the
City Council may direct or which the City Administrator may deem desirable
and in the best interests of the City of Hyattsville.
(8) Keep the City Council fully informed as to the financial condition
and future needs of the City and submit to the City Council an annual
report on the finances and administrative activities of the City at
the end of each fiscal year.
(9) Purchase materials, equipment, supplies and services when not in
excess of the dollar amount prescribed by the City Council.
(10) Ascertain that all taxable property within the City is assessed for
taxation.
(11) Collect all taxes, special assessments, license fees, liens and all
other revenues, including utility revenues, of the City and all other
revenues for whose collection the City is responsible and receive
any funds receivable by the City.
(12) Have custody of all public moneys belonging to or under the control
of the City, except as to funds in the control of any set of trustees
and have custody of all bonds and notes of the City.
(13) Do such other things in relation to the fiscal or financial affairs
of the City as the City Council directs.
[Amended 5-5-1980 by
HR No. 3-80, 5-8-2006 by HR 2006-05, 12-2-2016 by HR 2016-01]
The Clerk shall serve as Clerk to the Council and shall be hired
by the City Administrator and shall be a Department Director. The
Clerk shall attend all meetings of the Council and keep a full and
accurate account of the proceedings of the Council. The Clerk shall
keep such other records and perform such other duties as may be required
by this Charter, the Mayor, Council and the City Administrator, including
maintaining an updated Charter, Personnel Manual, City Code and maintaining
City public documents.
[Amended 5-8-2006 by
HR 2006-05, 12-2-2016 by HR 2016-01]
Within sixty (60) days after the Mayor and Council just elected
are sworn in the City Attorney's position shall be subject to review
by the City Council for appointment or reappointment. [Amended
3-17-2003 by HR 2003-09]
The Mayor, with the approval of the Council, may appoint a City
Attorney who shall serve at the pleasure of the Mayor and the City
Council. The City Attorney shall be a member of the bar of the Maryland
Court of Appeals. The City Attorney shall be the legal adviser of
the City and shall perform such duties in this connection as may be
required by the Council or the Mayor. The City Attorney's compensation
shall be determined by the Council. The City shall have the power
to employ such legal consultants as it deems necessary from time to
time.
[Amended 1-21-1992 by
HR No. 3-91, 5-8-2006 by HR 2006-05, 12-2-2016 by HR 2016-01]
The civil service of the City shall be divided into the unclassified
and classified service.
A. Unclassified service. Employees in the unclassified service shall
serve at the pleasure of the City Council or their designee and shall
comprise the following offices and positions:
(1) The Mayor, the Council members and persons appointed to fill vacancies
in these positions.
(2) Members of all Boards, Commissions and Committees created and appointed
by the City Council to advise the City Council or staff and/or to
perform a specific function.
(3) The City Attorney, Auditor and Engineer and such other independent
contractors that provide ongoing services to the City pursuant to
a contract with, or appointment by, the City.
(4) The City Administrator, the City Clerk, the Treasurer and the heads
of all departments including the Chief of Police, the Director of
Public Works, the Director of Code Enforcement and the Director of
Recreation and the Arts.
(5) Board of Election Supervisors.
(6) Other positions as designated by the City Council.
B. Classified service. The classified service shall comprise all those
permanent employment positions designated by the City Council as classified
including the Department Directors. After the probationary period
employees included in the classified service shall ordinarily be dismissed
only for cause or for general governmental reasons, including but
not limited to budget enactments or the organization or reorganization
of City services, as determined in the discretion of the City Council.
[Amended 5-8-2006 by
HR 2006-05]
A. The City Council shall have power and authority to establish and
approve a personnel manual setting forth the terms and policies regarding
the employment of any or all municipal employees. The City Administrator
or his/her designee shall, unless otherwise directed by the City Council,
serve as the Personnel Officer for the City.
B. The Personnel Officer shall make such rules and regulations as are
necessary to carry out the provisions of this section, preparing examinations
and qualifications for employment or appointment and what may constitute
cause for removal, but no removal shall be allowed because of age,
race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, disability, marital
status, sex, sexual orientation or identity, physical characteristic
or the religious or political opinions or affiliations of any employee.
Such rules and regulations, when approved by the City Council, shall
have the force and effect of law; provided, however, that such rules
and regulations so made and approved shall not be inconsistent with
any ordinance in such connection passed by the City Council. The Personnel
Officer shall thereafter have the authority to interpret and clarify
the Rules and Regulations approved by the City Council.
The City Council shall have the power to do all things necessary
to include its officers and employees or any of them within any retirement
system or pension system under the terms of which they are admissible
and to pay the employer's share of the cost of any such retirement
or pension system out of the general funds of the City.
[Amended 1-21-1992 by
HR No. 4-91]
The compensation of all officers and employees of the City shall
be set, from time to time, by an ordinance passed by the Council.
The City Council is authorized and empowered, by ordinance,
to provide for or participate in hospitalization or other forms of
benefit or welfare programs for its officers and employees and to
expend public moneys of the City for such programs.