Visalia Municipal Code Art. VII City Attorney

Section 1. The City Attorney shall be a qualified elector of the City at the time of his appointment, and shall be an attorney and counselor-at-law, duly admitted to practice law in the State of California. He shall have been actually engaged in the practice of his profession in this State for a period of at least three years next before his appointment.

Section 2. It shall be his duty when directed by the Council to prosecute on behalf of the people, all criminal cases for violations of this Charter and of City ordinances, and to attend to all suits and other matters to which the City is a party or in which the City may be legally interested. He shall be in attendance at every meeting of the Council unless excused therefrom by the Mayor or the Council. He shall give his advice or opinion in writing whenever required by the Council or other officers, except the Board of Education. He shall be the legal advisor of all City officers; he shall approve the forms of all bonds given to and all contracts made with the City; he shall, when required by the Council, or any member thereof, draft all proposed ordinances for the City, and amendments thereto; and shall do and perform all such things touching his office as the Council may require of him, and at the expiration of this term shall surrender to his successor all books, papers and documents pertaining to the City's business.

Section 3. He shall receive as compensation a salary to be fixed by resolution, and in case the Council shall require him to devote all of his time to the duties of his office, he shall receive in addition thereto, such reasonable fees as the Council may allow for suits or proceedings before any court or commission in which he has been directed by the Council to act or appear.

Section 4. The Council shall have power to direct and control the prosecution and defense of all suits and proceedings to which the City is a party or in which it is interested, and may employ counsel to assist the City Attorney therein.