ORDINANCE N0._____

AN ORDINANCE PROPOSING TO AMEND THE SPECIAL CHARTER OF THE CITY OF LA GRANGE, MISSOURI TO CREATE THE OFFICE OF CITY ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE CITY OF LA GRANGE, MISSOURI PROCEDURE FOR APPOINTMENT OF SAID OFFICER, QUALIFICATIONS OF OFFICE, BOND, COMPENSATION, REMOVAL FROM OFFICE, DUTIES, POWERS, INTERACTION WITH CITY OFFICIALS, SEVERANCE, AND EFFECTIVE DATE.

BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LA GRANGE, MISSOURI, AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION 1.

There is hereby proposed an amendment to the Special Charter of the City of La Grange, Missouri to create and establish the office of City Administrator for the City of La Grange, Missouri, which shall be submitted to the qualified voters of the City of La Grange, Missouri at a special election to be called for the purpose of voting upon this proposed Special Charter amendment.

SECTION 2.

APPOINTMENT AND TENURE.

A qualified person shall be appointed City Administrator to be a full-time employee of the City of La Grange. The City Council shall serve as a committee for the purposes of interviewing and selecting such person. Such person shall be appointed by a majority vote of the City Council. The person so appointed shall serve for an indefinite term.

SECTION 3.

QUALIFICATIONS.

The person appointed to the office of City Administrator shall be al least twenty-five (25) years of age, shall become a resident of the city of La Grange within a reasonable time period following the appointment and shall be a graduate of an accredited university or college majoring in public or municipal administration.

SECTION 4.

BOND,

The City Administrator, before entering upon the duties of the office shall file with the City a bond in the amount of One Million Dollars (1,000,000.00). Such bond shall be approved by the City Council and shall ensure the faithful and honest performance of the duties of the City Administrator. The cost of such bond shall be paid by the City of La Grange. However, should the City Administrator be covered by a blanket bond to the same extent, such individual bond shall not be required

SECTION 5.

COMPENSATION.

The City Administrator shall receive such compensation as may be determined from time to time by the City Council and such compensation shall be payable bi-weekly.

SECTION 6.

REMOVAL OF CITY ADMINISTRATOR

The City Administrator shall serve as the appointing authority. The Mayor, with the consent of a majority of the City Council, may remove the City Administrator from office at will, and such City Administrator may also be removed by majority vote of the City Council independently of the Mayor's approval or disapproval. If requested, the Mayor and City Council shall grant the City Administrator a public hearing within thirty (30) days following notice of such removal. During interim, the Mayor, with the approval of the majority of the City Council, or by majority vote of the City Council without the Mayor's approval, may suspend the City Administrator from duty, but shall continue his/her salary for one calendar month following the final removal date, provided, however that if the City Administrator shall be removed for acts of dishonesty or acts of moral turpitude, such salary shall not be continued.

SECTION 7

DUTIES.

A. Administrative Office; The City Administrator shall be the Chief Administrative Assistant to the Mayor and as such shall be the Administrative Officer to the City Government of the City of La Grange. Except as otherwise specified by ordinance or by the Laws of the State of Missouri, the City Administrator shall coordinate and generally supervise the operation of all departments of the City of La Grange

B. Purchasing; The City Administrator shall be the Purchasing Agent for the City of La Grange and all purchases shall be made under his/her direction and supervision in accordance with purchasing rules and procedures approved by the City Council. No expenditure which exceeds the budget appropriation shall be made unless the City Council approves a supplemental appropriation.

M. Miscellaneous: In addition to the foregoing duties the City Administrator shall perform any and all other duties or functions prescribed and set forth by the Mayor and the City Council of the City of La Grange.

SECTION 8.

POWERS

A. City Property: The City Administrator shall have responsibility for all real and personal property owned by the City of La Grange. He/She shall have responsibility for all inventories and maintenance of such property. Personal property may be sold by the City Administrator only with the approval of the City Council. Real property may be sold only with the approval of the City Council by resolution or ordinance.

B. Set Administrative Policies: The City Administrator may prescribe such rules and regulations as he/she shall deem necessary or expedient for the conduct of administrative agencies subject to his/her authority, and he/she may revoke, suspend or amend any rule or regulation of the administrative service except those prescribed by the City Council and he/she shall follow the administrative procedures and guidelines as set forth in the ordinance of the City of La Grange and as it may be from time to time amended.

C. Coordinate Departments: The City Administrator shall coordinate the work of all departments of the City, and, at times of an emergency, shall have authority to assign the employees of the City to any department where they are needed for the most effective discharge of the functions of City Government. He/She may overrule any action taken by a department head and shall conduct the functions of a department temporarily without a director.

D. Investigate and Report: The City Administrator shall have the authority to investigate and to examine or inquire into the affairs or operation of any department of the City under his/her jurisdiction, and shall report on any condition or fact concerning the City Government requested by the Mayor or City Council. When so authorized by the City Council, the City Administrator may employ consultants to aid an examination or inquiry.

E. At no time shall the duties or powers of the City Administrator supersede the actions of the Mayor and City Council.

SECTION 9.

INTERFERENCE BY MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL

No member of the City Council shall directly interfere with the conduct of any department or duties of the employees subordinate to the City Administrator except at the express direction of the City Council or with the approval of the City Administrator or Mayor.

SECTION 10.

SEVERANCE CLAUSE

The provisions of this ordinance are declared to be severable and if any part of this ordinance shall for any reason be held to be invalid or unconstitutional, this shall not effect the validity of the remaining sections of this ordinance, and they shall remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 11.

REPEAL OF SPECIAL CHARTER IN CONFLICT WITH THIS AMENDMENT

All provisions of the Special Charter of the City of La Grange, Missouri which are in conflict with the terms of this proposed amendment to said Special Charter are repealed to the extent such is inconsistent with the terms of this proposed amendment. Such terms shall remain in effect as such affects other portions of said Special Charter which are not inconsistent with the provisions of this proposed amendment.

SECTION 12.

EFFECTIVE DATE AND INCORPORATION INTO SPECIAL CHARTER

This ordinance shall be in placed for approval by a majority of the qualified voters of the City of La Grange, Missouri after a copy of the proposed Ordinance has been made available to the general public by posting a copy thereof in the City office, 200 West Washington Street, La Grange, Missouri, at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to its adoption, read by title three (3) times before the City Council of the City of La Grange, Missouri, and adopted by the City Council of the City of La Grange, Missouri and approved by the Mayor of the City of La Grange, Missouri, or passed over veto of the Mayor of the City of La Grange, Missouri, and shall immediately become effective after it is approved by a majority of the qualified voters of the City of La Grange, Missouri, who vote upon this proposition, and become part of the Special Charter of the City of La Grange, Missouri, and be referenced as Article X of the Special Charter of the City of La Grange, Missouri, with a heading of CITY ADMINISTRATOR - HIS OR HER QUALIFICATIONS, POWERS & DUTIES, and shall be duly published and recorded in the City's Ordinance Book under the City's Special Charter.