(A) Election; term of office. The Mayor of the city shall be elected by the voters of the city at a regular election. A candidate for Mayor shall be a resident of the city for not less than one year prior to the election. The term of office begins on the first day of January following the election and shall be for four years and until a successor qualifies.
(B) Qualifications. The Mayor shall be at least 21 years of age, shall be a qualified voter in the city and shall reside in the city throughout the term of office.
(C) Vacancy. If a vacancy occurs in the office of Mayor, it shall be filled according to the Kentucky Revised Statutes.
(D) Powers and duties.
(1) The executive authority of the city is hereby vested in and shall be exercised by the Mayor. The Mayor shall enforce the Mayor-Council Plan, city ordinances and orders, and all applicable statutes. The Mayor shall supervise all departments of city government and the conduct of all city officers and employees under their jurisdiction and require each department to make reports to the Mayor as required by ordinance or as the Mayor deems desirable.
(2) The Mayor shall maintain liaison with related units of local government respecting interlocal contracting and joint activities.
(3) The Mayor shall report to the Council and to the public on the condition and needs of city government as the Mayor finds appropriate or as required by ordinance, but not less than annually. The Mayor shall make any recommendations for actions by the Council found in the public interest.
(4) Subject to disapproval of the Council, the Mayor shall promulgate procedures to ensure orderly administration of the functions of city government and compliance with statutes or ordinances. Upon promulgation or upon revision or rescission of the procedures, copies shall be filed with the person responsible for maintaining city records.
(5) Any delegation of the Mayor’s power, duties or responsibilities to subordinate officers and employees and any expression of official authority to fulfill executive functions shall be made by executive order. Executive orders shall be sequentially numbered by years and kept in a permanent file.
(6) All bonds, notes, contracts and written obligations of the city shall be made and executed by the Mayor or agent designated by executive order.
(7) The Mayor shall be the appointing authority with power to appoint and remove all city employees, including police officers, except as tenure and terms of employment are protected by statute, ordinance or contract and except for employees of the Council.
(8) The Mayor shall provide for the orderly continuation of the functions of city government at any time he or she is unable to attend to the duties of office by delegating responsibility for any function to be performed, in accordance with division (D)(5) above. However, the Mayor may not delegate the responsibility of presiding at meetings of the Council, and the authority to approve ordinances or promulgate administrative procedures may only be delegated to an elected officer. With approval of the Council, the Mayor may rescind any action taken in the Mayor’s absence under this section within 30 days of such action. If, for any reason, the disability of the Mayor to attend to the Mayor’s duties persists for 60 consecutive days, the office of Mayor may be declared vacant by a majority vote of the Council and the provisions of division (C) above shall apply.
(9) The Mayor of the city, in addition to the powers otherwise set out by ordinances, state statute or state constitution shall have the power to take immediate steps wherein he or she deems that an emergency exists; this includes, but is not limited to, acts of God, and the threat of immediate damage to persons or property which exists because of fire, inclement weather, chemicals, bacteria or other causes, or where life or property of citizens of the city is found to be threatened. The Mayor may determine that an emergency exists and/or that a curfew should be imposed and the same shall be enforced by the Mayor through any and all the city departments. No prior notice shall be required under this section. However, an announcement should be made as public as possible under the circumstances as determined by the Mayor. Violators of such declaration of the Mayor shall be deemed an emergency and all violators or perpetrators who violate any curfew or other order shall be arrested, incarcerated and punished according to this division (D)(9), determined by the Mayor.
(Prior Code, § 31.21) (Ord. 29-2012, passed 12-17-2012)
Statutory reference:
Related provisions, see KRS 83A.040(1), (3), (4), (7), (8), (9), (10)