[Amended 1-13-1997 by Ord. No. 51-1996; 11-27-2000 by Ord. No. 24-2000; 11-13-2001 by Ord. No. 38-2001; 4-22-2002 by Ord. No. 15-2002; 11-13-2018 by Ord. No. 70-2018; 10-26-2020 by Ord. No. 70-2020]
All Department Directors shall be appointed by the Mayor with the approval of Council as stipulated in the Charter. They shall be selected solely on the basis of education, training, experience, professional, executive and administrative abilities pertinent to the function, duties, and operations of their respective departments and as prescribed by law. Department directors, with the exception of the City Solicitor who reports to the Mayor, serve under the Managing Director's direction and supervision.
A. The Managing Director shall appoint acting department directors and temporary managers within 10 days of the date the position becomes vacant. Acting department directors appointed by the Managing Director may serve no more than 180 days. Council may agree to extend said term for additional ninety-day period by resolution upon request by the Mayor and upon satisfactory proof that the Mayor and/or Managing Director have made a diligent effort to recruit and hire a department director.
B. An acting department director or temporary manager who has been appointed to serve as department director or temporary manager but who fails to be confirmed by vote of Council shall continue to serve as acting director or temporary manager no longer than a period of 30 days from the date of the negative vote by Council, unless Council agrees to extend for ninety-day period(s) as set forth in the preceding subsection.
C. No appointed person shall serve as acting department director or temporary manager unless employed by the City of Reading prior to such appointment or approved by City Council resolution. Council shall, within 30 days, approve the acting director/manager appointment or the appointment shall be deemed approved.
D. Whenever the acting department director or temporary manager is absent due to vacation, illness or injury, the person filling that position shall designate a qualified employee from the existing department staff to head the department until the acting department director or temporary manager returns to duty. (See also Chapter 70, Personnel, § 70-708, Temporary reassignment.)
E. Whenever the department director or manager position is vacant due to removal, resignation, retirement, permanent disability or death, the Managing Director shall appoint a qualified employee from the department to the acting director or temporary manager position, as is required in § 5-401F of this chapter, until such time as the Mayor nominates a replacement to City Council and City Council approves the nomination. (See also Chapter 70, Personnel, § 70-708, Temporary reassignment.)
F. All department directors and managers shall have an annual performance review within 45 days of their anniversary date, or one year after their previous increase date, completed by the Managing Director and reviewed by the Mayor. No director or manager will receive more than one increase per year in any calendar period. The performance evaluations shall be made available for Council members to review. Any salary increase for department directors and managers shall be based on the performance evaluations and the criteria specified in the salary range policies, where applicable, for each position. The Solicitor shall have an annual performance review completed by the Mayor and members of Council. Any salary increase for the Solicitor shall be based on the performance review and the criteria specified in the salary range for the Solicitor position.