A. 
With respect to department head appointments including the major of the police department and any core department managers, who are not classified, will require the advice and consent of the city council including, but not limited to those cited under Section 5.02 of the charter. The mayor shall submit the names of his or her department head nominees to the city council in writing to the clerk of the city council. The clerk of the city council shall, upon receipt of any nomination, refer such nomination to the finance committee of the city council.
B. 
The finance committee shall conduct a public hearing to examine the qualifications and character of each of the mayor's appointees. Notice of the public hearing by the finance committee on advice and consent for each appointee shall be advertised at least ten (10) days in advance in a newspaper of general circulation within the city of Cranston. At the hearing, the mayor or his or her designee shall present to the committee the appointment. The committee shall have the right, by majority vote, to request reasonable documentation pertaining to an appointee. The hearing may continue from time to time until declared completed by a majority of the members of the finance committee.
C. 
It shall be the responsibility of the committee to present a report to the full city council as to whether the committee recommends consent for each of the mayor' s appointees. At the next city council meeting following receipt of the committee's report, the council after hearing the recommendation of the finance committee, shall take a vote to consent or not consent to the mayor's appointee.
D. 
If the finance committee does not act within forty-five (45) days of receipt of the nomination, then the appointment will be considered recommended to the full council for consent at the next scheduled city council meeting. If thereafter the council does not act within thirty (30) days following the recommendation of the finance committee, then the proposed appointment will be considered having been consented by the city council.
E. 
No nominee requiring the advice and consent of the city council shall work in the position for which he or she is seeking advice and consent, until and unless the full city council shall vote in the affirmative on the question of the nominee's approval for said position; except in the case of a nominee who is being promoted from within the department. In the case of a promotion of a person from within a department to a position requiring advice and consent, said employee may serve in an "acting" capacity for the higher position, but shall retain his or her current title and salary, until final approval is given by the full city council; unless otherwise contraindicated by a collective bargaining agreement under which the nominee is covered, in which case, said collective bargaining agreement shall take precedence over this section. If approved by the full city council, a nominee who is a potential new employee can only be placed on the city payroll the following business day after the city council's vote on his or her nomination. If the vote of the full city council is to deny advice and consent to a nominee requiring such, that nominee shall not be employed in that position, and may not be nominated for that position again for at least six months.
F. 
Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (A) through (D) of this section, any violation of subsection (E) of this section, shall cause the de facto rejection of said nomination, and no vote shall be required of the finance committee or the city council. The nominee shall be personally liable to the city for any salaries paid to him or her in violation of subsection (E) of this section.
(Prior code § 2-9.2; Ord. 05-40 §§ 1, 2; Ord. 05-12 § 1)
The city clerk shall perform those duties of office as specified in Section 4.01 and Section 15.11 of the charter. In addition to the requirements of Section 15.11, the register of boards and commissions shall be posted and regularly updated on the city's website with a process for submitting an application to serve on a board and commission.
(Prior code § 2-10; Ord. 2019-25, § 1, 7/22/2019)
The department of family relocation service is hereby established. The director thereof shall be appointed by the mayor in accordance with charter Section 5.02. He or she shall perform such services as may be required to assist in the relocation of families who have been forced to vacate their homes by reason of land condemnation or other emergency. He or she shall receive such salary as may be fixed by the city council and he or she may expend such sums as may be necessary for clerical assistance and other expenses within the amount appropriated therefor by the city council.
(Prior code § 2-34)
Pursuant to Section 9.07 of the charter, there is established a department of inspections which shall consist of the inspector of buildings, deputy inspector of buildings, inspector of plumbing, deputy inspector of plumbing and inspector of electrical installations. The inspector of buildings shall be the head of the department.
(Prior code § 2-21)
The inspector of buildings shall be appointed and removed by the mayor as provided in Section 5.02 of the charter and all other officers and employees of the department shall be appointed and removed by the inspector of buildings, subject to the provisions of Chapter 14 of the charter.
(Prior code § 2-22)
The city solicitor shall appoint one deputy solicitor and up to five assistant solicitors to assist him or her in the performance of his or her duties. The qualifications of the assistant city solicitor shall be as specified in Section 8.01 of the charter.
(Prior code § 2-12; Ord. 2025-31, 11/24/2025)
The mayor and/or city council may not hire or employ outside attorneys or legal firms to provide legal opinion of ordinances or resolutions introduced to the city council, but shall instead rely solely on the city's law department and the city council attorney for their opinion of ordinances' and resolutions' form and legality. The mayor may only hire outside legal assistance for opinion and action on ordinances and/or resolutions under the following conditions:
A. 
The mayor has first made a request for, and received a written report from the city's law department regarding the constitutionality of a given ordinance or resolution; and
B. 
The written report from the city's law department gives the opinion that a given ordinance or resolution is unconstitutional, however per Section 2.08.192 of this chapter, if no endorsement is given by the city's law department by the day before an ordinance is to be heard in committee, the solicitor shall be deemed to have given the opinion that said ordinance is constitutional; and
C. 
The mayor seeks judicial relief or judgment in court regarding a given ordinance or resolution; or
D. 
An outside entity seeks judicial relief or judgment in court against the city's enactment of a given ordinance or resolution.
For the purposes of this section, the mayor may seek judicial relief or judgment in court over the constitutionality of a given ordinance or resolution only after said ordinance or resolution completes the full legislative procedure and is finally adopted as outlined in Sections 3.10 through 3.14 inclusive of the city charter.
This section applies only to ordinances and resolutions introduced to the city council for passage. Notwithstanding this section, nothing shall prohibit the mayor and/or city council from hiring outside legal assistance to provide expert counsel and assistance on such things as capital improvement projects or other projects requiring introduction as an ordinance; civil or criminal litigation claims against the city, or other areas where specific legal expertise is necessary. Additionally, if the mayor seeks to utilize the city's law department to challenge the constitutionality of an ordinance or resolution through judicial relief, nothing shall prevent the city council from utilizing the city council attorney to represent its position in said matter.
(Ord. 05-52 §§ 1, 2)
Prior to council standing committees, after a new ordinance is introduced at a council meeting, the solicitor is to make an endorsement as to the form and legality to the city clerk. Notwithstanding this time limit, the solicitor's office may request all standing committees additional time to research and issue an opinion as to the form and legality of ordinances. If the solicitor or assistant solicitor fails to make any endorsement of an ordinance's form and legality by the date prior to the city council standing committee meetings, the solicitor shall be deemed to have given a positive endorsement of the form and legality of said ordinance.
(Ord. 05-9 § 1)
The city solicitor shall appoint, subject to the provisions of Chapter 14 of the charter, such other employees necessary to the operation of his or her office as may be authorized by the city council.
A. 
Lottery System for Hiring of Summer Employees.
1. 
All positions for summer employment with the city, with the exception of those hereafter mentioned, shall be filled by way of a lottery system.
2. 
Said lottery shall be open to all citizens of the city, and drawing shall be held each year on or about June 1st.
3. 
All supervisory positions and positions requiring a safety certificate shall be excluded from this employment lottery.
4. 
All applications for summer employment to be selected by the lottery shall be reviewed to ensure that all applicants are at least fifteen (15) years of age and are students continuing their education in the succeeding fall semester. All applicants must meet a minimum summer job specification to obtain said position.
(Prior code § 2-13)
The department of parks and recreation shall consist of the advisory committee on parks and recreation, the director of parks and recreation and such clerical and other employees necessary to the operation of the department as may be authorized by the city council.
The advisory committee on parks and recreation shall be appointed as provided in Section 11.06 of the charter. The appointment, qualifications and duties of the director of parks and recreation shall be as specified in Section 11.05 of the charter. The director shall appoint and remove all other employees of the department subject to the provisions of Chapter 14 of the charter.
(Prior code § 2-13.1)
The department of records shall, under the city clerk and the badge of probate, be staffed with such number of employees necessary to carry out the functions of the department. The number of employees shall be determined by the city council.
(Prior code § 2-11)
The bureau of traffic safety shall consist of the traffic engineer and such other employees as may be authorized by the city council. All employees shall be appointed by the mayor, subject to the provisions of Chapter 14 of the charter.
(Prior code § 2-14)
A. 
Each member of the board of canvassers shall receive a stipend in the amount of one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) in compensation for any city-wide election conducted by the city, including a general election, primary, presidential preference primary, special primary, special election, referendum election, or recall election. Members shall be paid a stipend of five hundred dollars ($500.00) for any other election conducted by the city that is not a city-wide election. The stipend shall be payable to the board member following the date of the primary or election for which it was earned.
1. 
For the purposes of this section, an "election conducted by the city" shall be defined as the period of time beginning with the first day of the declaration period for candidates, the date of certification by the board of ballot questions for a city-wide referendum, or the date of certification by the board of a valid city-wide recall petition, as the case may be, and concluding with the closing of polls on the date set for said election, provided that an election or primary is ultimately necessary and takes place.
2. 
A board member who serves for only a partial period of an election as defined in subsection A1 above shall receive a prorated portion of the stipend related to that election, calculated based on the total number of days served within the election period. In the event a primary election precedes a related general or special election, the prorated calculation for the general or special election shall begin the day following the closing of polls for the primary.
B. 
Each member of the board shall receive a stipend in the amount of two hundred dollars ($200.00) in compensation for any calendar year in which no election conducted by the city, as defined in subsection A, takes place, provided that said board member serves at least two hundred (200) days in that calendar year. A member of the board serving fewer than two hundred (200) days shall receive a stipend of one hundred dollars ($100.00). The stipend shall be payable to the member in the month of January following the conclusion of the calendar year for which the stipend was earned, or upon the termination of the member's service on the board. If the total stipend provided for by this section is less than the minimum provided for by R.I. Gen. Laws § 17-8-3, the stipend shall be increased to match the minimum stipend provided for by state law.
C. 
Each alternate member of the board shall receive a stipend of one hundred dollars ($100.00) in compensation in any calendar year, or the minimum provided for by R.I. Gen. Laws § 17-8-3, whichever is greater. The stipend shall be payable to the alternate member in the month of January following the conclusion of the calendar year for which the stipend was earned, or following the last scheduled election of the calendar year, or upon the termination of the member's service on the board.
1. 
An alternate member who temporarily assumes the full responsibilities of a board member who resigns, dies, or is incapacitated for at least thirty (30) days within an election period or one hundred twenty (120) days outside of an election period, shall be paid as a regular board member on a prorated basis, calculated from the day the alternate assumes the responsibilities of the member, until the incapacitated member resumes their duties, or until a successor is duly appointed and qualified, as the case may be.
2. 
An alternate member who works throughout any election day shall additionally be paid a poll worker field technician stipend at the current rate for poll worker field technicians as established by the board, however, in no case shall the total stipend paid to any alternate member exceed the total stipend paid to a board member, except for as provided in subsection C1 above.
(Ord. 2014-14, § 1, 6/23/2014; Ord. 2019-23, § 1, 7/22/2019; Ord. 2024-15, § 1, 6/24/2024)
The registrar shall be appointed by the board of canvassers and confirmed by the city council in accordance with R.I. Gen. Laws § 17-8-5(a)(4) for a term of four years commencing on the first Monday in January following each presidential election and continuing until the registrar's successor is appointed and confirmed. The registrar shall be the director of elections for the city, and as such shall have the following duties:
A. 
To serve as clerk to the board of canvassers, to keep an accurate record of its proceedings, and to provide guidance, research, and administrative support to said board in the conduct of all elections and voter registration matters as may be prescribed by law.
B. 
To serve as department head for the canvassing authority, and to manage the staff and regular operations thereof.
C. 
To support the board of canvassers in maintaining compliance with state and federal laws pertaining to elections, and with the rules, regulations, and directives promulgated by the state board of elections and the Rhode Island Secretary of State.
D. 
To maintain, correct errors in, and continuously update the master street list used for assigning registered voters in the city.
E. 
To, under the oversight and at the discretion of the board of canvassers, oversee the maintenance and updating of the city's voter rolls; administration of polling locations; selection and assignment of poll workers; assignment and delivery of voting equipment and supplies; placement of voting signage and accessibility fixes required by the state board of elections; set-up and arrangement of polling locations; establishment, combination, and relocation of polling locations; creation and placement of legal notices and advertisements related to elections; conduct of election day operations, early voting staff and operations, and administration of mail ballot application processing; post-election certification, write-in tabulation, provisional ballot adjudication, recounts, audits, records retention and authorized destruction; and any and all functions related to the conduct of elections in the city as required by state law, regulation, order, or directive.
F. 
To work collaboratively with the city's information technology staff, police department, and partners in other government and law enforcement agencies to continuously improve the physical and cyber security posture of the city's elections operations, technology, preparedness, and training.
G. 
To maintain active membership and participation in the state's association of clerks and election officials; lobby the general assembly to request changes to the state's election laws when directed by the board of canvassers; and to the extent practicable represent the board of canvassers on task forces, committees, and special commissions when requested in order to improve the efficiency, integrity, accessibility, and accuracy of the elections process.
H. 
The city registrar in addition to their regular salary, shall receive an additional stipend in the amount of three thousand dollars ($3,000.00) for any election conducted by the city, including a general election, primary, presidential preference primary, special primary, special election, referendum election, or recall election. No stipend shall be issued for a primary or special primary that is fully dispensed with in accordance with R.I. Gen. Laws § 17-15-11.
(Ord. 2014-14, § 1, 6/23/2014; Ord. 2019-23, § 2, 7/22/2019; Ord. 2024-15, § 1, 6/24/2024)