(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, except as otherwise provided by statute or ordinance. He or she shall be an attorney licensed to practice in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. He or she shall be chosen solely on the basis of his or her 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.
(1) The City Attorney shall be the general law officer of the city.
(2) He or she shall attend all meetings of the City Council and advise its members and all other city officials in all matters pertaining to their duties or affecting the interest of the city.
(3) It shall be the duty of the City Attorney to appear for the city and prosecute or defend for the city all cases in all courts of the state and the United States wherein the city may be a party plaintiff or defendant or a party in interest.
(4) It shall be the duty of the City Attorney to supervise the preparation of all ordinances, contracts and other legal documents of the city.
(5) It shall be the duty of the City Attorney to do and perform all duties of a legal nature concerning the city which may be required by the Mayor, City Council or by any ordinance of the city.
(6) It shall be the duty of the City Attorney, when requested by the Mayor with the approval of the City Council, to defend any action which may be instituted against any agent or employee of the city by reason of any act or thing done by such agent or employee in the performance of his or her duty or in the course of his or her employment.
(7) It shall not be the duty of the City Attorney to meet with or advise duly constituted boards and commissions of the city which are specifically authorized by state law to retain or employ counsel of their choosing.
(Ord. 1107, passed - -1967)
(D) Compensation for extraordinary services. In addition to the salary fixed for City Attorney by annual ordinance of 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 that person has taken the oath required by § 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.
(1989 Code, § 31.37)