Irvine Municipal Code Art. VII Officers and Employees

(a) The Council may establish City departments, offices or agencies in addition to those created by this Charter and may prescribe the functions of all departments, offices, and agencies.

(b) Except as otherwise provided by this Charter, all departments, offices, and agencies under the direction and supervision of the City Manager shall be administered by an officer appointed by and subject to the direction and supervision of the City Manager. With the consent of the Council, the City Manager may serve as the departmental administrator of one or more such departments, offices, or agencies or may appoint one person as the departmental administrator of two or more of them.

(c) The Council may provide for the number, titles, and compensation of all officers and employees.

There shall be a City Attorney who shall be appointed and subject to removal by a majority vote of the Council. The City Attorney shall serve as chief legal adviser to the Council, the City Manager, and all City departments, offices, and agencies and shall be under the administrative direction of the City Manager. The City Attorney shall represent the City in all legal proceedings and shall perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the Council.

There shall be a Treasurer who shall be appointed and may be removed by the Council. The Treasurer shall be under the administrative direction of the City Manager and shall perform those duties required by law, and provided by ordinance or resolution.

Each departmental administrator shall have the power to appoint, supervise, suspend, or remove such assistants, deputies, subordinates, and employees as are provided for by the Council for the department, subject to approval of the City Manager and subject to the provisions of the personnel rules and regulations adopted by the City Council.

Each departmental administrator and such of the deputies thereof as he or she may designate shall have the power to administer oaths and affirmations in connection with any official business pertaining to his or her department.

The Council shall fix by ordinance or resolution the amounts and terms of the official bonds of all officers or employees who are required by ordinance or resolution to give such bonds. All bonds shall be executed by a responsible corporate surety, shall be approved as to form by the City Attorney, and shall be filed with the City Clerk. Premiums on official bonds shall be paid by the City.

There shall be no personal liability upon, or any right to recover against, a superior officer, or his or her bond, for any wrongful act or omission of his or her subordinate, unless such superior officer was a party to, or conspired in, such wrongful act or omission.