The Council shall provide by ordinance, on or before July 1, 1946, for a merit system of personnel management for all City employees. Such ordinance shall-provide for such merit system and its administration as will guarantee to all citizens of the City a fair and equal opportunity for public service; as will establish conditions of service which will attract officers and employees of character and ability; and as will increase the efficiency of governmental departments and agencies by the improvement of methods of personnel management. The Council, in the enactment of such ordinance, shall give due consideration to tenure, seniority, service in the Armed Forces of this country and qualifications of officers and employees.
The Council may establish by ordinance a pension and retirement system for any or all groups of employees in the service of the City, provided that the cost, either to the employees or the City, or both, of any such pension and retirement system shall be determined by actuarially sound mortality and service tables.