(A) Establishment. There is hereby established the office of City Attorney.
(B) Appointment and qualifications. The Mayor, with the approval of City Council, shall appoint a City Attorney who shall be the general law officer and legal counsel of the city. The Mayor may remove the City Attorney at will unless otherwise provided by statute or ordinance. He shall be an attorney licensed to practice in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. He shall be chosen solely on the basis of his legal qualifications, with special emphasis on actual experience in or knowledge of Kentucky municipal and administrative law. The City Attorney may also engage in the private practice of law and may hold other public or private employment.
(C) Duties and Powers.
(1) The City Attorney shall have and exercises all powers and duties assigned to him by statute, this chapter, and such other municipal responsibilities delegated from time to time.
(2) The City Attorney shall prosecute or defend any and all suits or actions at law or equity to which the city may be a party, or in which it may be interested, or which may be brought against, or by, any officer of the city on behalf of the city, or in the capacity of such person as an officer of the city.
(3) It shall be the duty of the City Attorney to see to the full enforcement of all judgments or decrees rendered or entered in favor of the city, and of all similar interlocutory orders.
(4) The City Attorney shall be the legal advisor of the city, and shall render advice on all legal questions affecting the city, whenever requested to do so by any city official. Upon request by the Mayor or by the City Council, he shall reduce any such opinion to writing.
(5) It shall be the duty of the City Attorney to see to the completion of all special assessment proceedings and condemnation proceedings.
(6) It shall be the duty of the City Attorney to draft of supervise the phraseology of any contract, lease or other documents or instruments, to which the city may be a party; and upon the request of the City Council, to draft ordinances covering any subjects within the power of the city.
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(D) Compensation for extraordinary services. In addition to the salary fixed for City Attorney by annual ordinance of the City Council, the City Attorney shall receive additional compensation as an independent contractor for all extraordinary services, including appearances in legal actions and administrative proceedings and hearings involving the city, municipal bond issues, real estate acquisitions and dispositions, and other matters beyond the scope of usual legal counsel to the city or requiring an unusual amount of time. For such extraordinary services, the City Attorney shall be paid reasonable fees commensurate with the amount and value of time devoted thereto, based upon charges made by other attorneys for comparable legal services.
(E) Oath and bond. No person shall be appointed or act as City Attorney unless such person has taken the oath required by Section 228 of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and has provided a bond in the sum as established by City Council, with corporate surety authorized to transact business in Kentucky and conditioned upon the performance of the duties specified herein.