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(A) Creation of office. There is hereby established in the city the Office of City Administrator. The City Administrator shall be the Chief Administrative Officer of the city and shall serve as an administrative agent for the Mayor and City Council in the supervision of the offices and good government of the city. Except as otherwise provided herein, all the departments of the city shall be under the administrative supervision and direction of the City Administrator, and the Mayor and Council shall deal with all departments of the city and employees through the City Administrator.
(B) Powers and duties. In the performance of his or her role as Chief Administrative Officer of the city, the City Administrator shall have the following duties and powers:
(1) Except as otherwise provided herein, he or she shall take charge of and direct the operation of all city departments with the guidance and direction of the Mayor.
(2) He or she shall have the power, subject to the provisions of applicable law, and with the guidance and direction of the Mayor, to employ, discipline, and remove all nonelected employees of the city and members of the Volunteer Fire Department and EMS Department; provided, however, that with respect to the offices of City Clerk/Treasurer, City Engineer, City Attorney, Public Works Director, City Physician, Fire Chief, EMS Administrator, and Chief of Police and police officers, employment, discipline, and removal decisions shall be made by the Mayor and Council in the manner provided in this code book, with or without the advice of the City Administrator.
(3) He or she shall insure the enforcement of all laws and ordinances within the city and within its extraterritorial jurisdiction insofar as their enforcement is within the power of the city and consistent with the policy of the Mayor and City Council. Except for purposes of inquiry, the City Administrator shall deal with the members of the Police Department through the Chief of Police, except at such times the Chief is unavailable.
(4) He or she shall serve as the City Planning Director and shall advise both the City Planning Commission and the City Council in matters pertaining to the planning of the city.
(5) He or she shall attend all meetings of the Mayor and City Council and advise the Council in all matters pertaining to the city and its affairs.
(6) He or she shall recommend to the Mayor and Council such measures as he or she may deem necessary or expedient for the good government and welfare of the city.
(7) He or she shall be responsible for the care and maintenance of all city property.
(8) He or she shall prepare and submit to the Mayor and Council a proposed annual budget, together with his or her recommendations and comments. He or she shall be responsible for the execution and administration of the adopted budget. He or she shall supervise the maintenance and custody of all accounts and records of the city and shall provide the Mayor and Council with a report of the financial condition of the city at such times as the Mayor and City Council may require.
(9) He or she shall supervise the performance of all contracts and agreements to which the city is a part.
(10) He or she shall serve as purchasing agent of the city, and no purchase will be made without his or her approval. In no case will he or she make or approve any such purchase unless the funds for the same have been duly appropriated by the Mayor and Council, and as to those purchases where the amount involved exceeds $5,000, he or she shall first obtain the approval of the Mayor and Council.
(11) With the guidance and direction of the Mayor, he or she shall serve as a public relations officer of the city government.
(12) He or she shall perform any other duties and exercise such other powers as the Mayor and Council may from time to time assign.
(C) Additional powers. With the guidance and direction of the Mayor, the City Administrator may designate such city employees from time to time as necessary or appropriate to assist in carrying out the duties set forth in division (B) above, subject to his or her supervision and direction.
(D) Appointment and removal.
(1) The office of City Administrator shall be filled by appointment of the Mayor with consent of the majority of the City Council.
(2) He or she shall serve for periods of one year for a term corresponding to the terms of the other appointed officials of the city.
(3) He or she may be removed at anytime upon notice given by the Mayor and with the approval of a majority of the City Council.
(E) Qualifications. The City Administrator need not be a resident at the time of his or her appointment, but shall become a resident within such reasonable time as the Council and Mayor may allow.
(F) Compensation. The City Administrator shall receive such compensation and allowances as the Mayor and Council may prescribe.
(G) Requirements. The City Administrator shall take no part in any election held for the purpose of electing the Mayor, members of the City Council, or other elective city office of the city, except for the casting of his or her individual ballot. The City Administrator shall be an officer of the city within the meaning of Neb. RS 17-611 and shall be subject to and bound by the prohibitions therein contained. Before taking office, the City Administrator shall file with the City Clerk/Treasurer a bond in favor of the city for the faithful performance of his or her duties in the amount of $5,000. The premium of the bond shall be paid by the city.
(H) Vacancy of the City Administrator. During any temporary or extended period of absence of the City Administrator, or if a vacancy exists or is created in the office by the removal, resignation, disability, or death of the current or prior City Administrator, the Mayor and City Council may:
(1) Appoint an Interim City Administrator to fulfil the duties of the position until a permanent replacement is secured, or the position is eliminated. Said appointment shall be made at the next regular or special meeting of the Mayor and City Council following the vacancy, or as soon thereafter as may be possible.
(2) The Interim City Administrator shall be appointed by the Mayor and approved by a majority of the City Council. The Interim City Administrator shall serve until the appointment of a (permanent) City Administrator.
(3) The Interim City Administrator with regard to the administration of the office, shall be bound by the same terms as set forth herein for the City Administrator. The Interim City Administrator shall be tasked with all duties, obligations, and responsibilities of the City Administrator as prescribed by the Bridgeport City Code.
(4) In the event that no City Administrator or Interim City Administrator is appointed, or the office is vacant for any other reason, the Mayor shall assume all duties of the City Administrator until the appointment of a (permanent) City Administrator or Interim City Administrator. The Mayor, as he or she deems necessary, may designate one or more persons to assist in the administration of said duties.
(1973 Code, § 1-216) (Ord. 685, passed 9-10-1998; Ord. 801, passed 9-10-2009; Ord. 821, passed 5-5-2011; Ord. 949, passed 1-10-2019)
BONDS AND OATH
Official bonds of the city shall be in form, joint and several, and shall be made payable to the city in the penalty as the City Council may set by resolution; provided, the penalty amount on any bond shall not fall below the legal minimum, when one has been set by the state, for each particular official. All official bonds of the city officials shall be executed by the principal named in the bonds and by at least two sufficient sureties who shall be freeholders of the county, or by the official as principal and by a guaranty, surety, fidelity, or bonding company; provided no city official, while still in his or her official term of office, shall be accepted as surety on any other official's bond, contractor's bond, license bond, or appeal bond under any circumstances. Only companies that are legally authorized to transact business in the state shall be eligible for suretyship on the bond of an official of the city. All the bonds shall obligate the principal, and sureties for the faithful discharge of all duties required by law of the principal, and shall inure to the benefit of the city and any persons who may be injured by a breach of the conditions of the bonds. No bond shall be deemed to be given or complete until the approval of the City Council, and all sureties are endorsed in writing on the instrument by the Mayor and City Clerk/Treasurer pursuant to the approval of the City Council. The premium on any official bond required to be given may be paid out of the General Fund, or other proper city fund, upon a resolution to that effect by the City Council at the beginning of any city year. All official bonds, meeting the conditions herein, shall be filed with the City Clerk/Treasurer for his or her official records, and it shall be the duty of the City Clerk/Treasurer to furnish a certified copy of any bond so filed upon the payment of a fee which shall be set by resolution of the City Council. In the event that the sureties on the official bond of any officer of the city, in the opinion of the City Council, become insufficient, the City Council may, by resolution, fix a reasonable time within which the officer may give a new bond or additional sureties as directed. In the event that the officer should fail, refuse, or neglect to give a new bond, or additional sureties to the satisfaction, and approval of the City Council then the office shall, by the failure, refusal, or neglect, become vacant, and it shall be the duty of the City Council to appoint a competent, and qualified person to fill the office. Any official who is reelected to office shall be required to file a new bond after each election.
(Neb. RS 11-103 through 11-118 and 17-604) (1973 Code, § 1-301)
All officials of the city, whether elected or appointed, except when a different oath is specifically provided herein, shall, before entering upon their respective duties, take and subscribe the following oath which shall be endorsed upon their respective bonds: "I __________________________ do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Nebraska, against all enemies foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, and without mental reservation, or for the purpose of evasion; and that I will faithfully and impartially perform the duties of the office of ___________________________, according to law, and to the best of my ability. And I do further swear that I do not advocate, nor am I a member of any political party or organization that advocates the overthrow of the government of the United States or of this State by force, or violence; and that during such time as I am in this position I will not advocate, nor become a member of any political party or organization that advocates the overthrow of the government of the United States or of this State by force or violence. So help me God."
(Neb. RS 11-101) (1973 Code, § 1-302)
COMPENSATION
The compensation of any elective official of the city shall not be increased or diminished during the term for which he or she shall have been elected except when there has been a merger of offices; provided, the compensation of the members of the City Council, a board, or commission may be increased or diminished at the beginning of the full term of any member whether or not the terms of one or more members commence and end at different times. No elected official may be rehired at a greater salary if he or she resigns and desires to be rehired during the unexpired term of office. He or she may be rehired after the term of office during which he or she resigned at a greater salary. All salaries shall be set by ordinance of the City Council and will be available for public inspection at the office of the City Clerk/Treasurer.
(Neb. RS 17-108.02, 17-209.02, and 17-612) (1973 Code, § 1-902)
No officer of the city shall be permitted to benefit from any contract to which the city is a party when the consideration of the contract is in an amount in excess of $10,000 in any one year, and no contract may be divided for the purpose of evading the requirements of this section. Any such interest in a contract shall void any obligation on the part of the city; provided, the receiving of deposits, cashing of checks, and buying and selling of the warrants and bonds of the city shall not be considered a contract under the provisions of this section. No official shall receive any pay or compensation from the city other than his or her salary. The City Council shall not pay or appropriate any money or other valuable thing to pay a person who is not an officer for the performance of any act, service, or duty which shall come within the proper scope of the duties of any officer of the city; provided, that ownership of less than 1% of the outstanding stock of any class in a corporation shall not constitute an interest within the meaning of this section.
(1973 Code, § 1-902)
Cross-reference:
Conflict of interest; free or underpriced services prohibited, see Neb. RS 17-611 and Neb. RS 18-305 through 18-312