Agenda - Charter Commission - 01/28/1999

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LOCAL GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE AND ORGANIZATION PAGE 12 OPTIONAL PLAN B (See Chart III) Plan B embodies the council-manager form of government. Under Plan B, the elected city council consists of a mayor and four or six councilmembers. All policy and legislative decisions are the responsibility of the council. The council delegates the administrative duties to a city manager. The manager is accountable to the council for the effective administration of city business. The city council chooses the city manager on the basis of training, experience, and administrative qualifications. It is not necessary for the manager to be a resident of the city at the time of appointment or after appointment. The manger's te,nn of office is indefinite so the council may remove the manager at any time. If the manager has been in office for more than one year, the manager may demand that the council make written charges and hold a public hearing prior to discharge. The law, however, does not require specific grounds for dismissal. The city manager has respo~ibility for the administration of all city business and reports to the council. The law prohibits the council as a whole or any of the individuaI council members from interfering with the manager's prerogative to hire employees. The law also prohibits any individual councilmember from attempting to deal with or control any administrative person who is subordinate to the manager. Instead, the council must exert all of its controls through the manager. Plan B provides for a manager-appointed clerk and treasurer as well as other offices subordinate to the manager as the council may create by ordinance. The duties of the clerk and treasurer are the same as the duties in other statutory cities, except that the manager, not the clerk, signs written instruments, such as contracts, on behalf of the city. The manager also appoints the city attorney, subject to confirmation by the council. The council may direct the manager to perform the duties of any of the various offices except that of treasurer. Plan B abolishes all independent administrative boards and commissions except for a civiI service commission. The council itself, must assume the functions of such boards. The council, however, may still establish advisory board or commissions.