(a) In order to facilitate and make effective the City Manager's control over budgeting, personnel administration, and purchasing, the City Manager may appoint administrative assistants or may designate existing employees of the City as such within the limitations of the annual appropriation ordinance.
(b) It shall be the duty of the administrative assistants to the City Manager to conduct research into the best administrative practices developed by other cities, the application of which will improve the administration of the City government.
(1961 Code Sec. 121.11)