There is hereby established a Local Officers
Compensation Commission (LOCC), which shall determine the salaries
of the members of the City Commission.
The LOCC shall consist of seven members who
shall be registered electors of the City and shall be appointed by
the Mayor and subject to confirmation by the majority of the members
elected and serving on the City Commission. Provided, however, that
no member of the City Commission, employee of the City or member of
the immediate family of either shall be a member of the LOCC.
The term of office shall be seven years, except
that, of the members first appointed, one each shall be appointed
for terms of one, two, three, four, five, six and seven years. The
first members shall be appointed within 30 days after the effective
date of this article. Members other than the first members shall be
appointed before October 1st of the year of appointment. Vacancies
shall be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term.
The LOCC shall determine the salary of the members
of the City Commission. The determination shall be the salary unless
the City Commission, by resolution adopted by two-thirds of the members
elected to and serving on the City Commission, rejects it. The determination
of the LOCC shall be effective 30 days following its filing with the
City Clerk unless rejected by the City Commission. If the determination
is rejected, the existing salary shall prevail. The expense allowance
or reimbursement paid to elected officials in addition to salary shall
be for expenses incurred in the course of City business and accounted
for to the City.
The LOCC shall meet for not more than 15 session
days in each odd-numbered year and shall make its determination within
45 days after its first meeting. A majority of the members of the
LOCC constitutes a quorum for conducting business of the LOCC. The
LOCC shall not take action or make a determination without a concurrence
of a majority of the members appointed and serving on the LOCC. The
LOCC shall elect a chairperson from among its members. As used in
this section, "session day" means a calendar day on which the LOCC
meets, and a quorum is present. The members of the LOCC shall not
receive compensation but shall be entitled to actual and necessary
expenses incurred in the performance of official duties.
The business which the LOCC may perform shall
be conducted at a public meeting of the LOCC held in compliance with
Act No. 267 of the Public Acts of 1976, being §§ 15.261
to 15.275 of the Michigan Compiled Laws (Open Meetings Act). Public
notice of the time, date and place of the meeting of the LOCC shall
be given in the manner required by Act No. 267 of the Public Acts
of 1976.
A writing prepared, owned, used, in the possession
of or retained by the LOCC in the performance of an official function
shall be made available to the public in compliance with Act. No.
442 of the Public Acts of 1976, being §§ 15.231 to
15.246 of the Michigan Compiled Laws (Freedom of Information Act).
The City Commission shall implement this article
by resolution. After one year following the date that this article
goes into effect, the procedure for establishing the compensation
of elected officials may be changed by Charter amendment or revision.
Not more than 60 days after the effective date
of this article, a petition for a referendum on the article may be
filed pursuant to the procedure provided by law by filing a petition
with the City Clerk containing the signatures of at least 5% of the
registered electors of the City on the effective date of the article.
The election shall be conducted in the same manner as an election
on a character amendment. If a petition for referendum is filed, a
determination of the LOCC shall not be effective until the article
has been approved by the electors.