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The City shall have a Department of General Administration, a Department of Service, a Department of Finance, and a Department of Law. The Mayor shall appoint as the head of each department, a director, who shall exercise supervision and control of his department and who shall serve at the pleasure of the Mayor. Each director shall have such powers and duties as shall be prescribed by this Charter and the Council. There shall be a Department of Police and a Department of Fire under the supervision of Chiefs, as prescribed by the Laws of Ohio, responsible to the Mayor, who shall be the executive head thereof. The City shall also have a Civil Service Commission, a City Planning Commission, and a Recreation Commission. The Council may by ordinance establish additional departments, boards, or commissions, or divisions thereof, and provide for them as it may deem necessary. With the exception of the departments, boards, or commissions established by this Charter, the Council may combine or abolish any department, division, board, commission, nonelective office, or job classification and may authorize one person to serve in any capacity in two or more departments, divisions, boards, or commissions, when such positions are not incompatible.
The Administrative Director shall be head of the Department of General Administration and shall be possessed of executive and administrative qualifications in municipal government. In order to serve effectively as Acting Mayor when required to do so by Article IV, Section 3 of this Charter, he shall, under the supervision and control of the Mayor, be charged with general supervision of the administration of the affairs of the City. He shall perform, in addition, such specific duties as may be required of him by the Mayor or the Council.
The Director of Service shall manage and supervise public works, public construction, and all other matters as provided by the Council or directed by the Mayor. He shall have charge of the maintenance of such public buildings or other property as the Mayor may direct. He shall perform such other duties and functions in connection with the public service of the City and have such further power as may be provided by ordinance.
The Director of Finance shall be the head of the Finance Department and fiscal officer of the City. He shall serve the Mayor and the Council as financial advisor in connection with Municipal affairs. He shall keep the financial records of the City, exhibiting accurate statements of all moneys received and expended, of all property owned by the City, and of all taxes and assessments. He shall be custodian of all public money of the City, shall keep and preserve such money in the place or places authorized by ordinance, and shall disburse the same as may be required by law or ordinance. He shall not allow the amount set aside for any appropriation to be overdrawn or drawn for any other purpose. He may examine and audit the accounts of all officers, employees, and departments. He may require evidence that the amount of any claim presented to him is due. He shall perform such other duties consistent with his office as the Mayor or the Council may direct.
(A) The Director of Law shall be an attorney at law admitted to practice in the State of Ohio. The Director shall be the legal advisor of and attorney and counsel for the City, and shall advise, counsel, and prepare proposed legislation at the direction of any member of any board or commission of the City, in matters relating to their official duties. The Director shall prepare or direct the preparation of all contracts, bonds, and other instruments in writing in which the City is concerned and shall endorse on each his or her approval of the form and correctness thereof. The Director shall appoint such number of assistants as Council may authorize and assign their duties. The Director of Law is authorized, solely and within his or her sound discretion and within the annual appropriation, to engage such outside counsel or experts as from time to time may be necessary to effectively represent the City.
(B) The Director of Law shall be responsible for the prosecution of all cases brought before the Municipal Court and shall perform any other duties prescribed by this Charter, by ordinance, or by general law.
(C) The Director of Law shall prosecute or defend for and on behalf of the City, all complaints, suits and controversies in which the City is a party, and such other suits, matters, and controversies as the Director shall by Council be directed to prosecute or defend. The Director of Law, in the defense or prosecution of litigation to which the City is a party, and in the exercise of his or her professional judgment, shall take all steps necessary and shall advise and consult the Council and the Mayor regarding the status and pending resolution of the litigation. Subject to the direction of the Mayor, the Director of Law is authorized to execute such documents on behalf of the City as necessary for the resolution of such litigation.
(D) Council or any member of Council, the Mayor, the director of any department, or any officer, board, or commission not included within a department, may request the opinion of the Director of Law upon any question of law involving their respective powers or duties.
(E) In addition to the duties imposed upon the Director of Law by this Charter or required of him or her by ordinance, the Director shall perform the duties that are imposed upon city directors of law by general law, beyond the competence of this Charter to alter or require.
(Amended November 3, 2009.)
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