Torrance Municipal Code Art. 6 City Manager

600 CITY MANAGER FORM OF GOVERNMENT.

The City Manager form of government is hereby established for the City of Torrance. The office of City Manager in and for the City of Torrance is hereby established.

601 APPOINTMENT, REMOVAL, AND TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT OF THE CITY MANAGER.

The City Council shall appoint a City Manager.

The City Manager must be a citizen of the United States, with relevant experience as determined by the City Council to effectively serve as the City Manager. The City Manager shall be chosen by the City Council based on the Council’s assessment of their qualifications.

The City Manager shall be an at-will employee who shall serve at the pleasure of the City Council. The City Manager position is exempt from the Civil Service System of the City.

The terms and conditions of employment of the City Manager shall be set forth in an employment agreement between the City Council and the City Manager.

If the City Manager is absent from work for reasons other than use of vacation leave, the City Council has the discretion to appoint either an Acting or Interim City Manager. If the City Manager’s employment ends with the City, the City Council shall proceed to appoint a new City Manager. In that situation, the City Council may also appoint an Acting or Interim City Manager.

602 CITY MANAGER RESPONSIBLE TO CITY COUNCIL.

The City Manager shall be responsible to the City Council for the proper and efficient management of all the affairs of the City placed in their charge by the City Council.

603 NONINTERFERENCE BY CITY COUNCIL WITH POWERS AND DUTIES OF CITY MANAGER.

Neither the City Council nor any individual City Council member shall in any manner, direct or request the City Manager to appoint or remove any person to and/or from any office or position of employment of the City. Neither the City Council nor any individual City Council member shall give orders or instructions, publicly or privately, to any person under the jurisdiction of the City Manager. No member of the City Council shall undertake to coerce the City Manager regarding any of their duties, as well as regarding any municipal contract, and/or in connection with the purchase of any municipal supplies.

604 THE POWER OF CITY MANAGER OVER CITY DEPARTMENTS.

The City Manager shall have supervision and control over all department heads, except the City Attorney, and elective officials of the City.

The City Manager shall have the power to direct and control the administrative and executive functions of such departments.

The City Manager shall have power to appoint from the civil service eligible list all department heads except the City Attorney and elective officials of the City.

The City Manager shall have power to discipline (up to and including termination) department heads subject to the provisions of applicable civil service requirements.

The City Manager may recommend to the City Council for the abolition, suspension, or consolidation of the duties and functions of any of the department heads as well as any of their subordinate employees (i.e., department staff employees) of the City. Such recommendation must include the City Manager’s reason(s) for this proposed action. The City Council may, at any time, abolish, suspend, or consolidate any such duties or functions in accordance with such recommendations or as it may determine, and remove the affected employee(s) from employment with the City, subject to any requirements of a memorandum of understanding applicable to the particular employee(s).

605 ADDITIONAL POWERS AND DUTIES OF CITY MANAGER.

The City Manager shall be charged with the performance of the following duties and shall have the following powers, in addition to those set forth above:

a) They shall enforce all municipal ordinances, franchises, leases, contracts, permits, and privileges granted by the City.

b) They shall purchase all supplies, property or equipment needed or required by the City in accordance with such regulations as the City Council shall prescribe by ordinance.

c) They shall prepare and submit to the City Council an annual budget estimate at least two (2) months prior to the end of the fiscal year, and in this connection, the City Manager shall have right to demand of the various departments and elective officials of the City, a full and complete statement of the estimated expenditures of such departments and elective officials for the ensuing fiscal year, and the reasons for such expenditures. The City Manager may include or exclude such items from the budget estimate as they may deem advisable.

The City Council shall hold at least two (2) public hearings upon the annual budget estimate and may increase the total estimated expenditures set forth therein only upon an affirmative vote of four (4) members of the City Council.

d) They shall make such recommendations to the City Council or the County Board of Equalization regarding taxes, assessments, and/or the annual assessment roll as they deem advisable.

e) They shall have general supervision and control over all City property, including public buildings, parks and playgrounds.

f) They shall advise the City Council concerning the financial needs, conditions, and requirements of the City.

g) They shall attend all City Council meetings.

h) They may evaluate and/or investigate the conduct or records of any employee of the City.

i) The City Manager shall not engage in any private business in conflict with their role as the City Manager.

j) They shall perform such other duties as may be conferred upon them by the City Council by resolution or ordinance.

k) The City Manager may delegate any of the foregoing duties to any department head.

606 ORDINANCE AND CHARTER PROVISIONS REPEALED.

All ordinances or parts of ordinances of the City of Torrance and all sections, subsections or parts of sections of this Charter, in conflict with Article 6 of this Charter, are hereby amended or repealed as the case may be.