SECTION 27. DUTIES OF THE CLERK; CLERK'S BOND.
   (1)    The Clerk shall keep a journal of the proceedings of the Council, and have charge of and preserve the records, papers, contracts and other documents belonging to the City; he shall attend the sessions of the Police Court, keep an accurate record of its proceedings, and all judgments shall be entered by him, within twenty-four hours after the same are rendered. He shall, in cases of sickness or disability of the Mayor and Vice Mayor, or in case of their absence from the City, or during any vacancy in the office of the Mayor, and Vice Mayor perform the duties of the Mayor, except as herein otherwise provided, and shall be vested with all the powers necessary for the performance of such duties; he shall also perform such other duties pertaining to the fiscal affairs of the City, or otherwise, as may be required of him by this Charter or by the Council.
   
   (2)    The Clerk shall collect and receive all taxes, assessments, fines and costs, and other money due to the City from any source, and shall receipt for the same. He shall keep an accurate account of all moneys paid to him for the use of said City, showing under separate accounts the amounts received for the account of taxes, sewer purposes, street pavements, licenses and other bills due to the City, fines and costs and of other matters pertaining to his office, which books shall at all times be open to the inspection of the Council, or to any committee appointed by it for such purposes; he shall pay over promptly all money which he may receive, within five days after the receipt thereof, into the hands of the Treasurer of the said City, showing an itemized statement of the several funds included in said payment, and taking the Treasurer's receipt therefor. He shall keep his office in the City Building, unless otherwise ordered by the Council and shall keep his office open for the transaction of business during the usual business hours, and as may be directed by the Council; he shall on or before the first day of January and July of each year and oftener, if directed by the Council, present to the Council a full, complete and detailed statement of all money with which he is chargeable, or that has been received by him from all sources up to that time, together with a statement of all money paid to the Treasurer and receipted for; and he shall at such times return a list of all taxes, levies, assessments and other claims in his hands for collection which he shall not have been able to collect by reason of insolvency, removal, or other cause, to which list he shall append an affidavit that he has used due diligence to collect the several items therein mentioned, but has been unable to do so. He shall, upon the expiration of his term of office, or upon the order of the Council, turn over to his successor all money, books of account and other property of the said City in his possession.
   (3)   The Clerk of the said City, before entering upon the discharge of his duties, shall execute a bond, conditioned for the faithful performance of the duties of his office, and for the accounting for and paying over, as required by law, all money which may come into his hands by virtue of his office, with sureties satisfactory to Council, payable to “The City of St. Albans,” in a penalty to be fixed by the Council sufficient to indemnify the City against any loss as the Council may prescribe. He shall be custodian of all bonds, notes, certificates and other evidences of indebtedness to the City, together with all valuable papers which may be placed in his possession by the Council, except that the bond of the Clerk shall be deposited with the Mayor.
   (4)   If the Clerk shall fail to account for, and pay over to the Treasurer of said City, any or all of the money with which he may be chargeable, belonging to the said City, according to the conditions of his bond and orders of the Council it shall be lawful for the Council to recover the same by action or by motion, upon ten days notice in the corporate name of the City, in the Circuit Court of Kanawha County, against him and his sureties or any or either of them, or his or their executors or administrators.