NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1965 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 338

HOUSE BILL 479

 

 

AN ACT TO AMEND CHAPTER 1013 OF THE SESSION LAWS OF NORTH CAROLINA, 1961, THE CHARTER OF THE TOWN OF EDENTON, RELATING TO THE APPOINTMENT OF A TOWN ADMINISTRATOR.

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina do enact:

 

Section 1. That Chapter 1013 of the Session Laws of North Carolina, 1961, is hereby amended by inserting in Chapter VI thereof a new Section 1 entitled "Town Administrator." Section 1 of Chapter VI as the same appears in Chapter 1013 is hereby renumbered as Section 2 and in like manner the remaining Sections of Chapter VI are renumbered accordingly. The new Section 1 shall read as follows:

"Section 1. Town Administrator.

"(1)      Appointment. The Board of Councilmen shall appoint an administrative officer whose title shall be Town Administrator. The Town Administrator shall be appointed with regard to merit only and need not be a resident of the Town at the time of his appointment. The Mayor or any member of the Board of Councilmen shall not be eligible for appointment as Town Administrator.

"(2)      Combined Office, Term, Compensation. The office of Town Administrator may be combined with any other Town office and the Administrator shall perform the duties of such other offices as may be directed by the Board of Councilmen. The Town Administrator shall hold office at the pleasure of the Board of Councilmen and shall receive such compensation as the Board may by ordinance determine.

"(3)      Duties. The Town Administrator shall perform the following duties:

"(a)      He shall be chief administrative officer of the Town government responsible to the Mayor and the Board of Councilmen for the performance of his duties. The Administrator shall perform or supervise the performance of all administrative affairs of the Town, except the affairs of the Water and Light Department, as he may be authorized and directed so to do by the Mayor and the Board of Councilmen.

"(b)      Attend all regular meetings of the Board of Councilmen. In addition, he shall attend all committee meetings of the Board when requested by the Mayor or the Board of Councilmen.

"(c)      Make investigations and reports concerning Town government affairs for the Mayor and Board as they may direct and as the Administrator shall from time to time deem necessary. Reports may include recommendations for adopting such measures as the Administrator may deem best for the good government of the municipality.

"(d)      Keep the Commissioner of Finance and Revenue, the Mayor and the Board of Councilmen fully advised of the Town's financial condition and its future financial needs, and to perform such fiscal control duties in connection therewith as may from time to time be authorized or required by the Board of Councilmen.

"(e)      Coordinate the activities of all Departments and assist the Mayor and the Councilman in charge of each department in seeing that superintendents and other Town employees perform their duties and functions as may be required.

"(f)      Perform such other duties and functions as the Board of Councilmen may prescribe.

"(4)      Relationship With Other Departments. The superintendent or operating head of the various Town Departments, except the Water and Light Department, shall be directly responsible to the Administrator who in turn shall be directly responsible to the Mayor and Board of Councilmen. It is the intent of this Section to establish a line of responsibility from the superintendent or operating department head through the Administrator to Councilmen in charge of each department. The Administrator is responsible for making certain that the various superintendents or operating department heads perform their assigned functions and the Administrator shall be responsible for maintaining fiscal control of the budgeted items of the various departments, with the exception of the Water and Light Department.

"(5)      Relationship With Water and Light Department. This Section or any part thereof shall not be interpreted so as to authorize the Town Administrator to have or exercise any control or authority whatsoever over the Edenton Light and Water Department, except to perform such duties for this Department as may from time to time be mutually agreed upon by the Board of Councilmen and the Board of Public Works."

Sec. 2. This Act or any part thereof shall not be interpreted so as to repeal, alter or modify the requirements of other Sections of the Town Charter relating to the power and authority granted thereunder to the Mayor or the Board of Councilmen or to any individual member thereof. It is the intent of this Act to establish the office of Town Administrator to assist the Mayor with his duties as chief executive officer and to assist the members of the Board of Councilmen with their administrative duties as department heads as provided for by Chapter V of Chapter 1013 of the Session Laws of North Carolina, 1961.

Sec. 3. Within the context of Section 2, all laws and clauses of laws in direct conflict with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed to the extent of such conflict.

Sec. 4. This Act shall be in full force and effect from and after its ratification.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 27th day of April, 1965.