Duties of the Mayor
Powers and Duties of the Mayor under the Mayor-Council Plan, pursuant to the Faulkner Act
Under the mayor- council plan the mayor exercises the executive power of the municipality. The mayor shall perform the following functions:
I. Executive functions of the Mayor
A. Enforce the charter and ordinances of the municipality.
B. Supervises all municipal departments
C. Fix amount of salary or wages paid to the employees of the administrative departments of the municipality.
D. Subject to civil service requirements and contractual obligations
1.
Within the general limits of the municipal budget
2.
Salaries of the department directors, mayor, and council shall be set by the
council by resolution (does not require the mayor's approval)
E. Supervises care and custody of municipal property
F. Can require reports from and investigate any municipal department, board, commission, or agency
G. Appoints and removes department heads, subject to council approval
1.
Simple majority approval of council by resolution necessary to appoint
2. Two-thirds
majority of the whole membership of the council necessary to block removal
3. Also appoints
members to municipal boards, authorities or commissions, subject to council
approval
H. Designates an acting mayor in times of illness or absence
1.
Can be:
a. Business
administrator
b. Some other
department head
c. Municipal
clerk
2.
After sixty days council appoints an acting mayor
II. Fiscal functions of the Mayor
A. Review, analyze and forecast trends of municipal services, programs and finances
B. Oversees
the municipal budgeting, purchasing, and personnel procedures
C. Prepares the municipal operating and capital budgets
III. Contractual functions of the Mayor
A. Negotiates
contracts subject to council approval
B. Signs
all contracts, bonds, and other instruments requiring the consent of the municipality
C. Sees that all contractual and franchise terms and conditions are kept and performed
IV. Ministerial functions of the Mayor
A. Gives
the annual "State of the Municipality" address
B. Serves
as an ex-officer, nonvoting member of all appointive bodies of which he is
not an official, voting member
V. Legislative functions of the Mayor
A. Can attend
council meetings and take part in council discussions
B. Can vote
to break a tie on the question of filling a vacancy on the council
C. Can propose
legislation
D. Can veto
ordinances, subject to override by a two -thirds majority of the whole council
E. If the
mayor takes no action on an ordinance (neither signs nor vetos) within ten
days of its submission by council,
the measure becomes law as if he had sign it
