ARTICLE III. - EXECUTIVE AND ADMINISTRATIVE BRANCH—ORGANIZATION
Part of the Code of Ordinances of Central Falls, RI.
The text
CHAPTER 1. - OFFICERS, DEPARTMENTS, BOARDS, COMMISSIONS AND OTHER AGENCIES#
Sec. 3-100. - Executive and administrative officers, departments, boards, commissions and agencies designated.#
The executive and administrative work of the city shall be performed by: (a)
The following elected or appointed officers:
Mayor;
City clerk;
City solicitor;
Director of finance;
Director of planning
Director of public works;
Director of community services
Director of public safety;
Director of recreation
Director of human resources
(b)
The following departments and their divisions which are hereby created:
Department of records;
Law department;
Community services/community center
Finance department:
(1)
Tax assessing division;
(2)
Division of collections and disbursements;
(3)
Accounting division;
Department of public works:
(1)
Division of engineering;
Department of public safety:
(1)
Police division;
(2)
Fire division;
(3)
Code enforcement
(4)
Division of emergency management
Department of recreation
Department of human resources
(c)
The following independent boards and commissions which are hereby created:
Purchasing board;
Personnel board;
Board of appeals
Zoning board
Detention facility board
Planning board
Board of canvassers and registration;
Trustees of the public library
Board of recreation;
Board of retirement.
(d)
Such additional advisory boards as the mayor may appoint.
(e)
Such additional divisions of departments as the council are authorized by Charter to create.
Sec. 3-101. - Department heads.#
Each department set up in subsection (b) of section 3-100 shall have as its head one of the officers designated in subsection (a) of section 3-100 who either personally, or by a duly authorized agent or employee of the department, subject at all times to the provisions of this Charter, shall exercise the powers and perform the duties vested in and imposed upon the department. The following officers shall be the heads of the departments following their respective titles: City clerk, of the department of records;
City solicitor, of the law department;
Director of finance, of the finance department;
Director of public works, of the department of public works;
Director of public safety, of the department of public safety;
Director of planning, planning department
Director of community services, community center.
Director of recreation
Director of human resources
Sec. 3-102. - Officers of boards and commissions.#
Except as expressly otherwise provided in this Charter, each board and commission shall have a chairman and a secretary from its membership.
CHAPTER 2. - ELECTION OR APPOINTMENT#
Sec. 3-200. - Mayor.#
At the municipal election in the year 2016 and in every fourth year thereafter, a mayor shall be elected.
(11-6-2012)
Sec. 3-201. - Heads of departments.#
The mayor, with the approval of a majority of members of the council, shall appoint all department heads; except that the mayor, himself, shall be the director of public safety. If the council shall refuse to approve the appointment of any department head, the mayor, within two weeks thereafter, shall submit to the council another appointee to be head of said department, and shall continue so to do until an appointment shall be approved, provided, however, that the mayor shall not resubmit any appointee whose approval has been refused more than once. Pending the approval of the appointment of any department head, the mayor may designate any employee of said department to be acting head of said department until the appointment and approval of a department head.
(11-5-1957)
Sec. 3-202. - Members of boards and commissions.#
Except as expressly otherwise provided and subject to the limitations of this Charter, the mayor, with the approval of a majority of the members of the council, shall appoint the members of all boards and commissions.
Sec. 3-203. - Officers of boards and commissions.#
Except as expressly otherwise provided in this Charter, the members of boards and commissions shall elect their officers.
CHAPTER 3. - QUALIFICATIONS#
Sec. 3-300. - Mayor.#
The mayor shall be at least 25 years of age, a legal resident of the city for at least two years and a qualified elector of the city. If the mayor removes his or her residence from the city, the mayor shall thereby vacate his or her office.
(11-6-2012)
Sec. 3-301. - City solicitor.#
The city solicitor shall be a lawyer admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the state and shall have had at least two years' experience in active practice of the law.
Sec. 3-302. - Reserved.#
Sec. 3-303. - Director of finance.#
The director of finance shall have had such experience for at least five years as an executive or the controller of a business, or in public finance, as shall qualify them for the duties of their office.
(11-7-2023)
Sec. 3-304. - Other department heads, members of boards and commissions, officers and employees.#
All other department heads, members of boards and commissions, and all other employees not under the merit system hereinafter set up, shall be persons especially qualified for their positions by training and experience.
Sec. 3-305. - Reserved.#
Sec. 3-306. - Members of boards and commissions to hold no other office.#
Members of independent boards or commissions, except ex officio members, shall hold no other elective or appointive office in the city.
CHAPTER 4. - TERMS OF OFFICE#
Sec. 3-400. - Mayor.#
In order to accommodate the city's transition to even-year elections, the mayor elected in 2013 shall serve for a three-year term. Thereafter, the mayor shall serve for a term of four years beginning on the first Monday of January following their election, and until their successor is elected and qualified. No person shall hold the office of mayor for more than two consecutive terms.
(11-6-2012; 11-7-2023)
Sec. 3-401. - All other officers.#
Except as expressly otherwise provided in this Charter, all officers appointed by the mayor, including those approved by the council, shall serve at the pleasure of the mayor. All members of boards and commissions and all council appointees shall serve for the terms for which they were appointed or elected and until their successors are qualified, unless sooner removed for cause.
(9-12-1957, § 1)
CHAPTER 5. - VACANCIES#
Sec. 3-500. - Mayor.#
If a vacancy occurs in the office of mayor more than 180 days before the time of holding the next succeeding regular city election, the council shall call a special election for the purpose of filling such vacancy for the remainder of the term, such special election to be held not more than 50 days after the date of the occurrence of such vacancy. If any such vacancy occurs 180 days, or less, before the time of holding the next succeeding regular city election, the president of the council shall perform the duties of the mayor for the remainder of the unexpired term. If by the 30th day after the vacancy occurs the council shall fail or refuse to call an election as hereinbefore required, then the board of canvassers shall call an election for the purpose of filling said vacancy within said period of 50 days. Until the vacancy is filled, or in case of the mayor's temporary disability, the president of the council shall act as mayor, and if the president of the council should resign or be unable to act, then the council shall elect by a majority of its members one of its members to serve as acting mayor.
Sec. 3-501. - Appointive offices.#
A vacancy in an appointive office for a term and in the office of a department head, shall be filled by appointment for the balance of the unexpired term within three months after such vacancy occurs. Such an appointment shall be made in the same manner as an original appointment.
(9-12-1957, § 1)
Sec. 3-502. - Council vacancies.#
If a vacancy occurs in the office of city councilor, whether by failure to elect or otherwise, the remaining councilors shall, within thirty days following the date of such vacancy, act to fill said vacancy. The city council shall fill the vacancy for the remainder of the unexpired term by choosing the defeated candidate for said seat from the last regular city election; provided, however, that the defeated candidate shall have received at least 30 percent of the total ballots cast for the particular seat being vacated. For the purpose of this section, the 30 percent minimum threshold shall be calculated as a ratio of ballots cast for the particular office being vacated to votes obtained by the defeated candidate. If there was no other candidate for said office or the defeated candidate shall not have received at least 30 percent of the total ballots cast and more that 180 days remain before the next succeeding regular city election the board of canvassers shall call a special election for the purpose of filling such vacancy for the remainder of the unexpired term, such special election to be held in accordance with state elections law and the provisions of this Charter. In the event that any state general or special election, or any city election for any other purpose shall be held within the said period the board of canvassers may in its discretion order any special city election required by the provisions of this section to be held at the same time as such other city or state general or special election.
(11-6-2012)
CHAPTER 6. - INDEPENDENT BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS#
Sec. 3-600. - Appointments and compensation.#
A)
Compensation of members of independent boards and commissions may be established by the council by ordinance.
B)
On the first Monday of January in each succeeding year, or as soon as may be thereafter, there shall be appointed by the mayor, with the approval of a majority of the members of the council, one member of the following boards to succeed the member whose term is expiring, and to hold office until the first Monday of January three years thereafter, and until his/her successor shall be appointed and qualified. Alternate members of any board shall be appointed in the same manner as other members of said board. Board appointments are made by the mayor with the approval of a majority of the members of the council.
Sec. 3-601. - Purchasing board.#
The purchasing board shall consist of the mayor and the director of finance, ex officio. and three other members The purchasing agent shall serve ex officio without voting privileges
Sec. 3-602. - Personnel board.#
The board shall consist of three members and shall be appointed in a manner as prescribed in section 3-600.
Sec. 3-603. - Board of appeals.#
The board of appeals shall consist of three members provided, however, that there shall be a fourth member of said board who shall serve as an alternate and shall serve as a member of said board only upon the absence from any meeting of said board of a regular member thereof and shall be appointed in a manner as prescribed in section 3-600.
Sec. 3-604. - Board of canvassers and registration.#
The canvassing authority of the city shall be the board of canvassers and registration and shall consist of three members who shall be appointed in a manner as prescribed by state law.
Sec. 3-605. - Trustees of public libraries.#
The trustees of public libraries shall consist of three members, who shall be appointed in a manner as prescribed in section 3-600.
Sec. 3-606. - Board of recreation.#
The board of recreation shall consist of three members who shall be appointed in a manner as prescribed in section 3-600 and a council member The mayor shall appoint the council member to serve on said board for a period of two years as an ex officio member without the right to vote.
Sec. 3-607. - Board of pensions and retirement.#
The board of pensions and retirement shall consist of three members, who shall be appointed in a manner as prescribed in section 3-600.