SECTION 2-25. OATHS.

   The Mayor and each Councilman, City Judges, and the City Clerk or the Clerk's deputies, shall be and they are hereby authorized to administer oaths in all matters concerning municipal affairs of the City.

SECTION 2-26. AUTHORITY TO GRANT PARDONS.

   The City Council may grant pardons for violations of municipal ordinances, including the remission of fines and costs, upon the recommendation of the Municipal Judge.

SECTION 2-27. COUNCIL NOT TO INTERFERE IN APPOINTMENTS AND REMOVALS.

   Except for the purposes of inquiry, the Council and its members shall deal with the administrative service of the City solely through the City Manager. The Council and its members may not:

   1.   Direct or request the City Manager or other authority to appoint or remove employees of the City.

   2.   Participate in any manner in the appointment or removal of employees of the City, except as provided by law.

   3.   Give orders on ordinary administrative matters to any subordinate of the City Manager, either publicly or privately.

   The word “employee,” as used herein, shall not include appointive officers, either appointed by the Mayor or Council.

SECTION 2-28. GENERAL POWERS; CHARTER PREVAILING.

   In addition to the powers hereinabove or hereinafter enumerated, the City Council shall be vested with all powers of the City of Guthrie bestowed on the City of Guthrie by the Constitution of the State of Oklahoma, this Charter, and such powers as are vested upon statutory cities by the Statutes of the State of Oklahoma, as now exist or are hereinafter enacted, including, but not limited to, the determination of matters of policy; providing that where any provisions of the Charter shall be in conflict with any law or laws relating to Cities, the provisions of the Charter shall prevail.

SECTION 2-29. FISCAL YEAR.

   The fiscal year for the City of Guthrie shall commence on the 1st day of October in each year.

SECTION 2-30. INCREASE IN UTILITY RATES.

   (a)   This section shall constitute a limit on the legislative power of the City Council as to the matters included herein, and not otherwise.

   (b)   Precedent to an increase in water or sewer rates within the control of the City of Guthrie, such increase proposal must be submitted to the legal voters of the City for their approval or rejection at the next regular general election, or at a special election which might be called for said purpose. This section is self-executing and shall supersede all provisions in conflict therewith; legislation may be enacted to facilitate its operations but no ordinance shall limit or restrict the provisions thereof.

   (c)   If any word, sentence, clause or phrase in this section shall be declared for any reason invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, then such shall be stricken or another word, sentence, clause or phrase shall be inserted so as to render this section valid, and the entire section shall not be affected thereby.

(Approved by electors, 8-23-2016)