A merit system is hereby established for personnel in the city service. Appointments and promotions in the service of the City shall be made solely on the basis of merit and fitness. Removals, demotions, suspensions, and layoffs shall be made solely for the good of the service. The council, consistent with this charter, by ordinance or personnel rules, may regulate personnel matters (including any examinations to be given to applicants) and provide for proper personnel administration.
The city council shall appoint a personnel board. A member of the personnel board may not hold any other office or position in the city government. The city council shall by ordinance establish the composition of the personnel board and set forth its duties.
(passage ratified October 13, 1975; election held October 7, 1975; Ord. 449, August 14, 1975; amendment ratified October 13, 1992; election held October 6, 1992; Ord. 929, March 28, 1992)
Repealed by Ord. 929, effective March 28, 1992; election held October 6, 1992; repeal ratified October 13, 1992.
Officers and employees of the City shall have the qualifications prescribed by this charter and such additional qualifications as the council may prescribe; but the council shall not prescribe additional qualifications for the mayor and councilmembers.
Except when chosen upon basis of competitive examination, neither the city manager, the council, nor any other authority of the city government may appoint or elect any person related to the mayor or any councilmember, to the city manager, or the person appointing, or, in the case of a plural authority, to one of its members, by affinity or consanguinity within the third degree to any office or position of profit in the city government; but this shall not prohibit an officer or employee from continuing in the service of the City.
Except as may be otherwise provided by this charter or by ordinance, the same person may hold more than one office or position in the city government. The city manager may hold more than one such office or position, through appointment by the manager, by the council, or by other city authority having power to fill the particular office or position, subject to any regulations which the council may make by ordinance; but the manager may not receive compensation for service in such other offices and positions. Also, the council, by ordinance, may provide that the city manager shall hold ex officio any designated administrative office or offices subordinate to the city manager as well as other designated compatible city offices notwithstanding any other provision of this charter.
The city manager, the finance director, the city treasurer if separate from the finance director, and such other officers and employees as the council may designate, before entering upon their duties, shall be bonded by individual and/or group bonds, for the faithful performance of their respective duties, payable to the City in such form and in such amounts as the council may prescribe, with surety company authorized to operate within the State. The City shall pay the premiums on such bonds.
All officers of the City and such employees as the council may designate, before entering upon the duties of their offices, shall take and subscribe to the oath or affirmation of office prescribed by the Alaska constitution, article XII, section 5. The oath or affirmation shall be filed and kept in the city clerk's office.
All officers authorized by federal and state law, the mayor, the city clerk, the chairman of the personnel board, and such other officers as the council may authorize, may administer oaths and affirmations.
The power to lay off, suspend, demote, and remove officers and employees accompanies the power to appoint or elect them.
The appointing or electing authority who may appoint or elect the successor of an officer or employee, may appoint or elect a person to act during the temporary absence, disability, or suspension of such officer or employee or, in case of a vacancy, until a successor is appointed or elected and qualifies, unless the council provides by ordinance that a particular superior or subordinate of such officer or employee shall act.
Every officer who is elected or appointed for a term ending at a definite time shall continue to serve thereafter until a successor is elected or appointed and qualifies unless the successor's services are sooner terminated by resignation, removal, disqualification, death, abolition of the office, or other legal manner.
All records and accounts of every office, department, or agency of the city government, except records and documents the disclosure of which would tend to defeat the lawful purpose which they are intended to accomplish, shall be open to public inspection.