§ 3-116. Duties generally

The Mayor shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the City. The Mayor shall use his or her best efforts to see that the laws and City ordinances are enforced and that the duties of all subordinate officers are faithfully performed. The Mayor shall take care that the funds of the City are properly expended, and shall recommend to the consideration of the City Council whatever measures the Mayor may deem necessary for the prudent and efficient management of the affairs of the City. The Mayor shall also be the Chief Conservator of the Peace and Safety of the City and as such is empowered to control and direct the police force, in case of riot, insurrection, or other emergency, when the Mayor may take command of the whole police force, including the Chief Executive thereof, and may for the occasion appoint and commission as many special police officers as the Mayor may deem necessary, who shall have all the powers of regular members of the police force. Any emergency as provided for in this section shall not be construed to be the operation of the police force in its routine duty. The Mayor shall serve as a voting member of the Local Control Commissioners. The Mayor shall have those powers of a justice of the peace in the State of Vermont with respect to the performance of marriage and/or civil unions. The Mayor, commencing on the first Monday in June 2002, shall appoint all City department heads who were heretofore appointed by City commissions, with the exception of the Superintendent of Schools, who shall continue to be appointed by the Board of School Commissioners. Such appointments shall be subject to confirmation by a majority of the membership of the City Council. The appointment by the Mayor to the position of City officer or department head shall be on the basis of professional competency and/or meritorious performance relating to the duties of the position. In making department head appointments and in evaluating their performance, the Mayor shall consult with the applicable City commission. At least two applicable commissioners chosen by the chair shall be invited to participate in interviews for department head selection. The full applicable commission shall formally participate in the annual evaluation of a department head; and shall make a formal recommendation to the Mayor concerning the reappointment of a department head. Department heads shall have such administrative, personnel, and managerial authority as shall be delegated to them by the Mayor. (Amended 2009, No. M-17 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. April 24, 2010; 2019, No. M-6, § 2, eff. May 23, 2019.)