There shall be a City Manager who shall be the Chief Administrative Officer of the City. He/she shall be appointed by the affirmative vote of a least a majority of the members of the City Council and shall serve at the pleasure of the City Council; provided, however, that he/she shall not be removed from office except as provided in this Charter. He/she shall be chosen on the basis of his/her executive and administrative qualifications, with special reference to his/her actual experience in, and his/her knowledge of accepted practice in respect to the duties of his/her office as herein set forth.
The City Manager shall establish such residence as the City Council may require pursuant to ordinance or resolution.
No person shall be eligible to receive appointment as City Manager while serving as a member of the City Council nor within one (1) year after he/she has ceased to be a member of the City Council.
The City Manager shall be paid a salary commensurate with his/her responsibilities as Chief Administrative officer of the City, which salary shall be established by ordinance or resolution. The City Manager shall furnish a corporate surety bond conditioned upon the faithful performance of his/her duties in such form and in such amount as may be determined by the City Council.
The City Manager shall be the administrative head of the City government, and he/she shall be responsible to the City Council for the proper administration of all affairs of the City, and shall be given such powers and duties as the Council may from time to time provide by ordinance.
The City Manager shall be accorded a seat at all meetings of the City Council and of all Boards and Commissions and shall be entitled to participate in their deliberations, but shall not have a vote. He/she shall receive notice of all special meetings of the City Council, and of all Boards and Commissions.
The City Manager may appoint an Acting City Manager to act in his/her behalf during his/her absence. Any such appointment by the City Manager shall be with the approval of the City Council; said approval to be given at the next meeting. If the position of City Manager becomes vacant or the City Manager is absent or is incapacitated to such an extent he/she cannot perform his/her duties, then the council may appoint an Acting City Manager until the position of City Manager is filled.
The City Manager shall not be removed from office during or within a period of ninety (90) days next succeeding any municipal election at which a member of the City Council is elected. At any other time the City Manager may be removed at a regular meeting of the City Council and upon the affirmative votes of a majority of the members of the City Council. At least thirty (30) days prior to the effective date of his/her removal, the City Manager shall be furnished with a written notice stating the Council's intention to remove him/her and the reasons therefor. Within seven (7) days after receipt of such notice, the City Manager may by written notification to the City Clerk request a public hearing before the City Council, in which event the Council shall fix a time for a public hearing which shall be held at its regular meeting place before the expiration of the thirty (30) day period above referred to. The City Manager shall appear and be heard at such hearing. After furnishing the City Manager with written notice of his/her intended removal, the City Council may suspend him/her from duty, but his/her compensation shall continue for sixty (60) days. In removing the City Manager, the City Council shall use its uncontrolled discretion, and its action shall be final and shall not depend upon any particular showing or degree of proof at the hearing, the purpose of which is to allow the City Council and the City Manager to present to each other and to the public all pertinent facts prior to the final action of removal.
Except as otherwise provided in this Charter, no individual member of the Council shall interfere with the execution by the City Manager of his/her powers and duties, or order, directly or indirectly, the appointment by the City Manager, or by any of the department heads in the administrative service of the City, of any person to any office or employment, or his/her removal therefrom. Except for the purpose of inquiry, or report, the City Council and its members shall deal with the administrative service solely through the City Manager, and neither the City Council nor any member thereof shall give orders to any subordinate of the City Manager, either publicly or privately. This section shall not apply to any officer appointed by the City Council or the members of his/her department.