The City of Santa Monica, as successor in interest of the municipal corporation of the same name, heretofore created and existing, shall own, possess, control, and in every way succeed to and become the owner of rights and of property of every kind and nature by said existing municipal corporation owned, possessed or controlled and shall be subject to all the debts, obligations, liabilities and duties of said existing corporation.
All lawful ordinances, resolutions, rules and regulations, or portions thereof, in force at the time this Charter takes effect, and not in conflict or inconsistent herewith, are hereby continued in force until the same shall have been duly repealed, amended, changed or superseded by proper authority.
Nothing in this Charter contained, except as specifically provided, shall affect or impair the civil service, pension and retirement rights or privileges of officers or employes of the City, or of any office, department or agency thereof, existing at the time this Charter takes effect.
The present officers and employes shall, without interruption, continue to perform the duties of their respective offices and employments for the compensation provided by the preceding Charter, of existing ordinances, resolutions, rules or laws, until the appointment and qualification of their successors under this Charter and subject to such removal and control as is herein provided.
All contracts entered into by the City, or for its benefit, prior to the taking effect of this Charter, shall continue in full force and effect. Public improvements for which proceedings have been instituted under laws or Charter provisions existing at the time this Charter takes effect, in the discretion of the City Council, may be carried to completion as nearly as practicable in accordance with the provisions of such existing laws and Charter provisions or may be continued or perfected hereunder.
No action or proceeding, civil or criminal, pending at the time when this Charter takes effect, brought by or against the City or any office, department or agency thereof, shall be affected or abated by the adoption of this Charter or by anything herein contained; but all such actions or proceedings may be continued notwithstanding that functions, powers and duties of any office, department or agency party thereto, by or under this Charter, may be assigned or transferred to another office, department or agency, but in that event, the same may be prosecuted or defended by the head of the office, department or agency to which such functions, powers and duties have been assigned or transferred by or under this Charter.
For the purpose of nominating and electing members of the City Council and Board of Education, this Charter shall take effect from the time of its approval by the Legislature. For all other purposes it shall take effect on the Tuesday next succeeding the date of the election of the first City Council hereunder at eight (8:00) o’clock P.M. The members of the City Council and of the Board of Education in office at the time of the approval of this Charter by the Legislature, shall continue to hold office and to discharge the duties thereof until the election and qualification of their successors, respectively, under this Charter.