(A) (1) The Corporation Counsel shall, when required, advise the City Council, or any of its committees, or any city officer, in relation to all matters of law arising in which the interests of the city are involved. He or she shall act as attorney for the Playground and Recreation Board, the Library Board, the Board of Trustees of the city’s Police Pension Fund, the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners and the Board of Local Improvements and shall attend any meetings of the boards when requested.
(2) He or she shall attend to all legal matters incident to the levying and collection of any tax or special assessment and shall examine all assessment rolls and tax lists and all proceedings in reference to the assessment and collection of taxes and assessments for public improvements and approve the same.
(3) He or she shall draft all ordinances, bonds, contracts, resolutions, leases, conveyances or other instruments of writing on behalf of the city or examine and approve the same when required by the City Council for any of its committees or the Mayor. He or she shall furnish, on request, written legal opinions upon any subject concerning city government to the Mayor, the City Council or the head of any city department or board.
(4) He or she shall prosecute or defend, on behalf of the city, in all cases necessary to be instituted or originating in any court of record in which the interests of the city, or the official acts of any officer or agent of the city are involved. He or she shall report to the City Council and the Mayor all cases in which he or she shall deem it expedient to take an appeal or writ of error in behalf of the city, but no appeal or writ of error shall be taken without the consent of the City Council.
(5) He or she shall attend to all legal matters incident to the operation of the city’s Kings Highway Chain of Rocks Bridge.
(6) He or she shall attend all regular meetings of the City Council unless excused by the Mayor and, on request, all special meetings of the same.
(7) He or she shall also perform other professional services incident to his or her office as may be required by the City Council or the Mayor.
(B) The Corporation Counsel is hereby authorized, and it is made his or her duty, to attend any sale of property to enforce the collection of any tax or special assessment in which the city is interested, and in default of other bidders, to bid at the sale in behalf of the city, or the Corporation Counsel may, in his or her discretion, in default of bidders, withdraw from collection at the sale any special assessment or installment thereof levied by it on any lot, parcel of land or property subject to sale, but the withdrawal from collection shall not operate to cancel the assessment or impair the lien of the city and the assessment shall be and remain delinquent and payable at the office of the Municipal Collector or County Clerk, with all fees, costs, penalties, interest and charges that have accrued thereon, and the lot, parcel of land or property may be re-advertised and resold at any subsequent tax sale for the delinquent special assessments or installments thereof, as provided by statute.
(Ord. 680, passed 5-5-1953)