[Amended 10-1-2025 by L.L. No. 4-2025]
The City Manager shall be appointed for an indefinite term by the City Council. City Manager shall be appointed solely on the basis of executive and administrative qualifications, education, training and experience in public administration. It is the City Council's preference that the City Manager be a resident of the City, and may take residency into account in its appointment/re-appointment of the City Manager, but this preference may be waived by the City Council. No counselor or supervisor shall be appointed City Manager during the term for which elected or within two years after the expiration of his or her term.
The City Manager shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the City. City Manager shall be responsible to the City Council for the administration of all city affairs under his or her jurisdiction and control or placed in his or her charge by or under this charter or other provisions of law. The City Manager shall have all incidental powers and duties conferred upon the chief executive officer of the City by all general laws of the State of New York except as otherwise provided in this Charter.
The City Manager shall:
1. 
Prepare the budget and capital program and administer them after adoption.
2. 
Be responsible for the proper execution and enforcement of laws in the city including the provisions of this Charter, local laws, ordinances, resolutions and other acts of the City Council, contracts, permits, licenses, privileges and franchises issued by the City.
3. 
Execute all contracts, deeds or leases, permits and licenses that the City Manager may be authorized to issue, by the direction of the City Council or by other provisions of law or of this charter except as otherwise provided in this Charter.
4. 
Make such recommendations from time to time to the City Council as he or she may deem advisable.
5. 
Keep the City Council advised of the financial condition and future needs of the City.
6. 
Prepare and submit to the City Council, as soon as practicable after the conclusion of each municipal year, a concise and comprehensive report on the finances and administrative activities of the City.
7. 
Make such other reports as the City Council may require concerning the operations of all city offices, departments, agencies, boards and commissions subject to his or her direction and supervision.
8. 
Attend all meetings of the City Council. The City Manager may participate in any discussion and make recommendations but shall not have the right to vote.
9. 
Have the right to be present at all meetings of any department, agency, board or commission of the City.
10. 
Authorize any officer or employee of the City to attend an official or unofficial convention or conference of municipal officers or employees, or to attend any school conducted for the betterment of municipal government, if believed to be of benefit to the City, in accordance with § 77-b of the General Municipal Law.
11. 
Be responsible for the briefing of all new officers, employees and members of City boards, commissions and agencies as to their duties, responsibilities, powers and such other information necessary to the proper execution of their respective positions.
12. 
Have the power to designate any qualified person to be the acting head of any department, office, or agency appointed by the City Manager during the period of any vacancy, absence or disability until a permanent appointment can be made or the disability of the permanent head is removed.
13. 
Have the power to temporarily assign any officer or employee of any department, agency, board, commission or office to perform similar duties of another department, agency, board, commission, or office.
14. 
Perform such other duties and have such additional powers as are specified in this Charter or may be authorized or required by the City Council.[1]
[1]
Preparation of Capital Program § 13.3. infra.
A. 
The City Manager may also designate an Acting City Manager to perform his or her duties during any temporary absence from the city or temporary disability, and may change such designation from time to time by filing same in writing with the City Clerk. Unless authorized by the City Council, the City Manager may not designate any person except an officer of the city to serve as Acting City Manager. The Acting City Manager shall receive no additional compensation for serving as Acting City Manager unless specifically authorized by the City Council.
B. 
In case the office of City Manager becomes vacant, or if the City Manager is suspended, or during his or her absence or disability for a period exceeding three (3) months, the City Council may appoint a qualified administrative officer to serve as Acting City Manager with all the powers and responsibilities of the City Manager until a permanent City Manager is appointed. In no event shall the City Council appoint one of its own members as Acting City Manager.
City Manager shall have the power to investigate and to conduct hearings into the official conduct of all the City officers, departments, boards, commissions and agencies. The City Manager shall have access to all records and papers kept by every city officer, department, board, commission and agency; and shall have the power to compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of books, papers or other evidence to any such hearings and for that purpose my issue subpoenas signed by him or her.
The City Council may remove the City Manager from office by a majority vote of its full membership. At least 30 days before such removal shall become effective, the City Council shall by a majority vote of its members adopted a preliminary resolution stating the reasons for his or her removal. The City Manager may reply in writing and may request a public hearing which shall be held not earlier than twenty days nor later than thirty days after the filing of such request. After such public hearing, if one be requested, and after full consideration, the City Council by majority vote of its members may adopt a final resolution of removal. By the preliminary resolution, the City Council may suspend the City Manager from duty, but shall in any case cause to be paid him or her any unpaid balance of his or her salary and his or her salary for the next three calendar months following adoption of the preliminary resolution.