Santa Barbara Municipal Code Art. III Succession

The City of Santa Barbara shall continue to own, possess and control all rights and property of every kind and nature owned, possessed or controlled by it at the time this Charter takes effect and shall continue to be subject to all its debts, obligations, liabilities and contracts.

All lawful ordinances, resolutions, rules and regulations, and portions thereof, in force at the time this Charter takes effect and not in conflict or inconsistent herewith, are hereby continued in force until the same shall have been duly repealed, amended, changed or superseded by proper authority.

Nothing in this Charter contained, unless otherwise provided herein, shall affect or impair the civil service, personnel, pension or retirement rights or privileges of officers or employees of the City, or of any office, department or agency thereof, existing at the time this Charter takes effect.

The present officers and employees of the City shall continue without interruption to perform the duties of their respective offices and employments upon the same terms and conditions and for the compensation provided by the existing ordinances, regulations, rules or laws, but subject to such removal, amendment, change or control as is provided or permitted in this Charter, and, as to offices which are changed, superseded or abolished by this Charter, until the election and qualification or appointment of their respective successors under this Charter, if any, or until the duties of an abolished office have been transferred and are being performed pursuant to this Charter, or the City Council shall by resolution determine the office vacant. Each elective officer whose office is continued in existence but made appointive under this Charter shall continue to hold such office, under this Charter, but his vested or accrued retirement or pension rights or privileges shall not be deemed to be changed, altered or affected in any way by the adoption of this Charter.

All contracts entered into by the City or for its benefit prior to the effective date of this Charter and then in effect, shall continue in full force and effect according to their terms.

No action or proceeding, civil or criminal, pending at the time this Charter takes effect, brought by or against the City or any officer, office, department or agency thereof, shall be affected or abated by the adoption of this Charter or by anything herein contained but all such actions or proceedings may be continued notwithstanding that functions, powers and duties of any officer, office, department or agency a party thereto, may be assigned or transferred by or under this Charter to another officer, office, department or agency, but in that event the same may be prosecuted or defended by the head of the office, department or agency to which such functions, powers and duties have been assigned or transferred by or under this Charter.

This Charter shall take effect upon its approval by the Legislature after it shall have been ratified by the qualified voters of the City in the manner set forth in the Constitution of the State.