(A) The City Administrator shall be appointed by the Mayor by and with the consent of a majority of the City Council. He or she shall be the administrative head of the municipal government under the direction and control of the Mayor and City Council and shall be responsible to the Mayor and City Council for the efficient conduct of his or her office.
(B) The responsibilities of the City Administrator shall be as follows:
(1) To see that a current inventory of all property, real and personal, owned by the municipality is kept on file;
(2) To act as purchasing agent for the purchase of all supplies, goods, wares and merchandise, equipment and material which may be required for the various departments, divisions or services of the municipality;
(3) To keep the Mayor and Council fully advised as to the financial condition and needs of the municipality and be responsible for the preparation of the annual estimate of expenditures for presentation to the Mayor and Council prior to the passage of the annual appropriation ordinance;
(4) To serve as public relations officer of the municipal government and in such capacity to endeavor to investigate all complaints filed against any employee, department, division or service thereof and cooperate and work with all community organizations whose aid and purpose is to advance the best interests and development of the municipality and its people and to attend meetings of such organizations within and outside the city if such attendance is necessary and desirable;
(5) To attend all meetings of the Council with the duty of reporting any matter concerning municipal affairs under his or her supervision or direction and to attend such other meetings of the municipal departments and officials as may be required to fulfill his or her responsibilities;
(6) To analyze the functions, duties and activities of the various departments, divisions and services of the municipal government and of all employees thereof, and to make his or her recommendations regarding the same to the Mayor and Council;
(7) To carry out the Mayor and/or Council’s recommendations in coordinating the administrative functions and operations of the various departments;
(8) To procure facts and submit long range improvement recommendations to the Mayor and Council;
(9) To recommend to the Mayor and Council the appointment and dismissal of all department heads and other employees over which he or she exercises supervisory responsibility. Appointment or dismissal of department heads will be made upon the recommendations of the Mayor and confirmation by the Council. In the absence of the Mayor, the City Administrator may suspend any employee with or without pay, should the City Administrator determine that any city employee is guilty of gross misconduct or wanton dereliction of duty, until such time as the Mayor returns, or otherwise exercises jurisdiction over such employee;
(10) To investigate and make recommendations to the Mayor and City Council regarding duties and activities of any employee of the municipality and recommend to the Mayor and Council the promotion, demotion, suspension, transfer or discharge of such employee;
(11) To administer and be responsible for all departments and divisions of the municipal government which are under the Mayor’s and Council’s direction, including the Board of Public Works and any public utilities hereafter acquired by the municipality and including Fire and Police Departments, except insofar as such jurisdiction and administration conflicts with the Civil Service Law pertaining to such Fire and Police Departments. The office of the Municipal Attorney and Municipal Physician shall not come under the Administrator, said Administrator, however, shall be available to assist these offices in any administrative matter that may arise and those officers in turn shall be available to assist the City Administrator in the discharge of his or her duties;
(12) To recommend to the Mayor and Council for adoption such measures and ordinances as are deemed necessary or expedient;
(13) To recommend to the Mayor and Council any changes he or she deems appropriate in the employee manual;
(14) To make investigations into the affairs of the municipality and any department or division thereof and any contract or the proper performance of any obligation pertaining to the municipality;
(15) To exercise general supervision over all public buildings, streets and other public property which are under the control and jurisdiction of the Mayor and Council;
(16) To oversee the preparation and submission to the Mayor and Council as of the end of the fiscal year, a complete report on the finances and administrative activities of the municipality for the preceding year;
(17) To make recommendations regarding appropriate insurance coverage for the municipality;
(18) To keep open his or her office for public affairs during days and hours set by the Mayor and Council;
(19) To perform such other duties and exercise such other powers as may be delegated to him or her from time to time by ordinances or resolutions of the Council; and where action of the Council is not required, such duties and powers as may be prescribed by the Mayor; the City Administrator in the discharge of his or her duties shall have the right to expend an amount not to exceed the limits set forth in the city’s purchasing procedure;
(20) The city may contract in writing with the City Administrator to occupy such position and to assume such duties in writing, upon such terms and conditions as the Council may approve; and
(21) In the event the City Administrator serves pursuant to a written contract, his or her removal shall be governed by said writing. In the event the City Administrator is serving by appointment and without a written contract, he or she may be removed at any time by the Mayor.
(2000 Code, § 1-205)