The City Manager shall be chosen by the Council on the basis of his character, executive and administrative training, experience and ability, and without regard to political consideration. He need not when appointed be a resident of the City of Denver City, but during his tenure of office he shall reside in Denver City.
The City Manager shall be the chief executive officer and the head of the administrative branch of the City government. All department heads as provided in this article are directly responsible to the City Manager. He shall be responsible to the City Council for proper administration of all affairs of the City and to that end, he shall have the power and shall be required to:
A.
Appoint, and when necessary for the welfare of the City, remove any employee of the City except as otherwise provided by this Charter and, except as he may authorize the head of a department to appoint and remove subordinates in such departments.
B.
Prepare and submit to the Council an annual fiscal plan including a budget, as defined in Article VII and be responsible for its administration after adoption.
C.
Prepare and submit to the Council at the end of the fiscal year a complete report on the finances and administrative activities of the City for the preceding year.
D.
Keep the Council advised of the financial condition and future needs of the City and make such recommendations as may seem to him desirable.
E.
Perform such other duties as may be prescribed by this Charter or required of him by the Council, not inconsistent with this Charter.
F.
Attend all regular meetings of the Council with the right to take part in the discussion, but having no vote.
To perform his duties during his absence or disability, the Council may by resolution appoint an officer of the City to perform the duties of the City Manager until he shall return or his disability shall cease. In case of absence, disability, or illness exceeding thirty (30) days, where his duties could not be performed properly, his salary may be continued at the discretion of the Council.
The City Manager may also designate a subordinate to act in a short absence such as vacation, holiday, or short-term illness. This subordinate will then direct all departments of the city, with all department heads reporting to him. All such delegations of authority must be in writing specifying the duration of the absence and delineating the limits of the authority delegated.
Neither the Council nor any of its members shall direct or request the appointment of any person, to, nor his removal from, office by the City Manager or any of his subordinates, or in any manner take part in the appointment or removal of officers and employees in the administrative service of the City. Except for the purpose of inquiry, the Council and its members shall deal with the administrative service solely through the City Manager, and neither the Council nor any member thereof shall give orders to any subordinates of the City Manager, either publicly or privately. The City Manager must submit for approval by the Council a recommendation to terminate any department head or to fill a department head vacancy either by promotion of an existing employee or by hiring a new employee into the position of department head.
The City Manager shall receive such compensation as the Council shall fix from time to time by ordinance or resolution.
The Council may remove the City Manager, upon the affirmative vote of a majority of full membership of the Council. If removed after serving six (6) months, the City Manager may demand written charges and the right to be heard thereon at a public meeting of the Council prior to the date on which his final removal shall take effect; pending such hearing the Council may suspend him from office. The action of the Council in suspending or removing the City Manager shall be final, it being the intention of the Charter to vest all authority and fix all responsibility for such suspension and removal in the Council.
In order to effectively provide services to the Citizens of Denver City, the City of Denver City shall consist of the following five Departments (Departmental functions have been enumerated but are not limited to those listed):
The City Council shall appoint as City Attorney a licensed attorney-at-law who shall have practiced in this State for at least one year. The salary of the City Attorney shall be fixed by the City Council, and his term of office shall be at the discretion and pleasure of the City Council, with the advice of the City Manager. The City Attorney shall be the chief legal advisor of the Council, all offices, departments and agencies, and of all officers and employees in matters relating to the official powers and duties. He shall represent the City in all legal proceedings. It shall be his duty to perform all services incident to his position as may be required by statute, by this Charter, or by ordinance.