Chapter 2.03 DEPARTMENT OF MAYOR AND COUNCIL

Chapter 2.03
DEPARTMENT OF MAYOR AND COUNCIL

Sections:

2.03.010 Established – Purpose.

2.03.020 Establishment of Department of Mayor and Council.

2.03.025 Intergovernmental Affairs Coordinator.

2.03.030 Handling of mail.

2.03.040 Expense reimbursement.

2.03.010 Established – Purpose.

There is hereby established, pursuant to Charter Section 501, a Department of Mayor and Council, which shall have the responsibility for policy setting and constituent relations, inter-agency relations, and intra-agency/policy implementation, but which shall not involve any administrative services. (Ord. 2619 § 1, 1994).

2.03.020 Establishment of Department of Mayor and Council.

A. The Department of Mayor and Council shall have assigned to it the elected Mayor and elected Councilmembers, the private secretary to the Mayor and Council that is permitted by Charter, any additional Charter positions assigned to either the Mayor or Mayor and Council, and any positions assigned to the Department of Mayor and Council through the legislative process, including the budgetary process or such other means commonly recognized for assignment of personnel. Subject to the provisions of the Charter, positions so assigned to the Department of Mayor and Council shall be given an unclassified status.

B. The Mayor shall serve as department head and appointing authority, except when designated otherwise by the Charter or by the Council. The appointing authority includes the power to appoint and the power to remove from office. Persons in positions, other than clerical, who are appointed by the Mayor shall be term-limited to correspond to the tenure of the Mayor, unless removed prior to the end of the Mayor’s term.

C. The Council may, by ordinance not in conflict with the Charter, designate the Council as the appointing authority for a position created through the legislative process. A person appointed by the Council in the Department of Mayor and Council may be removed by a majority vote of the members of the Council.

D. The Council may, by ordinance not in conflict with the Charter, designate an individual Councilmember as the appointing authority for those positions serving at the individual Councilmember’s direction. Council assistants and senior Council assistants shall be appointed by the individual Councilmembers. Council assistants and senior Council assistants shall be term-limited to correspond to the tenure of the individual, appointing Councilmember, unless removed prior to the end of the Councilmember’s term. (Ord. 3054 § 1, 2006; Ord. 2619 § 1, 1994).

2.03.025 Intergovernmental Affairs Coordinator.

The City Council of the City of Chula Vista hereby designates that the position of Intergovernmental Affairs Coordinator in the Department of Mayor and Council shall serve at the will of the Mayor and Council. The Councilmembers collectively shall serve as appointing authority for the position. (Ord. 3042 § 1, 2006).

2.03.030 Handling of mail.

The Mayor and Council secretary is authorized to receive and open all mail addressed to the City Council and, upon doing so, shall forward it to the appropriate Mayor and Council staff so that it may be given immediate attention, to the end that administrative business referred to in said communications and not necessarily requiring Council action may be disposed of between Council meetings; provided, that all communications and any action taken pursuant thereto shall be reported to the City Council. Any communication requiring Council action is to be forwarded to the City Clerk’s office to be placed on the City Council agenda under written communications. (Ord. 2634 § 1, 1995).

2.03.040 Expense reimbursement.

A. The City adopts the “City Council Policy on Expense Reimbursement to Legislative Body Members,” attached as Exhibit 1 to the ordinance codified in this section.

B. This policy is adopted pursuant to the City’s constitutional home-rule authority over its municipal affairs related to compensation of City officials and employees.

C. The auto allowances paid to the Mayor and City Council members and incorporated in the policy reasonably reflect actual and necessary expenses incurred by the Mayor and City Council members, respectively, in their official City duties, and that those allowances are beneficial to the public.

D. In certain instances, as specified in the policy, the purchase of meals by legislative body members for third parties is an actual and necessary expense of a member’s official City duties. (Ord. 3056 § 1, 2007).