§ 2-27. Title, powers, duties and responsibilities.

(a)

General statement of purpose. The county administrator shall be herein called and referred to as the "county manager" and shall be the administrative head of the county and shall be responsible for the administration of all departments of the county government over which the board of county commissioners (the "board") has control pursuant to applicable law.

(b)

Specific powers. The county manager shall be the chief administrative officer of the county and shall be accountable to the board for the proper administration of the executive affairs of the county. The powers, duties and responsibilities of the county manager shall include the following:

(1)

Administer all directives and policies of the board, which includes reporting to the board (i) what action has been taken pursuant to any directive or policy, (ii) any time constraints that apply to the action to be taken, and (iii) recommendations as to the effect or result of any directive or policy and improvements or changes thereto;

(2)

Enforce all orders, resolutions, ordinances, motions or other regulations of the board;

(3)

Provide an annual report to the board on the state of the county, the work of the previous year, and any recommendations as to actions or programs he deems necessary for the improvement of the county and the welfare of its residents;

(4)

Establish budgets for all divisions or offices ("departments") of county government controlled or under the supervision of the board and organize the work of county departments, subject to an administrative code developed by the county manager and adopted by the board (the "code"), and review the departments, administration, and operation of the county and make recommendations pertaining thereto for reorganization by the board;

(5)

Exercise the exclusive power to select, appoint, employ and supervise, and to suspend, discharge and remove, persons filling authorized positions and performing official functions in the county under the supervision of the board, except that employment of all department heads shall require conformation by the board. Such appointees and employees shall serve at the pleasure of the county manager;

(6)

At the request of the board, or any individual member thereof, collect, and report to the board, data and information regarding the operation of the county government and give advice and recommendations to the board based on that data and information;

(7)

Prepare an annual operating budget, capital budget and capital program; establish the schedules and procedures to be followed by all county departments, offices and agencies in connection therewith; supervise and administer all phases of the budgetary process; and submit the same to the board for consideration and adoption;

(8)

Prepare annual reports, with recommendations for improvements or changes, on the finances and administration of the county, and promptly make such report available to the public;

(9)

Subject to board oversight and approval, negotiate, execute and administer compliance with all leases, contracts or other agreements on behalf of the county and notify the board of any noted violations thereof;

(10)

Oversee the care and custody of all real and personal county property and its institutions and agencies; make recommendations concerning the nature and location of county improvements; and make recommendations concerning the sale or disposition of excess county property;

(11)

Develop, implement and supervise centralized budgeting, personnel, legal and purchasing procedures for the county which will coordinate the administration of county departments to ensure protection of the health, welfare, safety and quality of life of the residents of the county;

(12)

Order, upon advising the board, any department under his jurisdiction as specified in the administrative code to undertake any task for any other agency on a temporary basis if he deems it necessary for the proper and efficient administration of county government to do so;

(13)

Appoint persons to ad hoc committees to serve in an advisory capacity to the county manager;

(14)

Issue and enforce such procedures as the county deems necessary to supplement and implement the code and ordinances of the county and maintain a complete compilation of all such procedures;

(15)

Attend and participate in all board meetings and perform all other duties delegated to him or her by the board and such other duties as may be authorized or permitted from time to time pursuant to this division.

(c)

Employee supervision. Except for the purposes of inquiry and information, the members of the board shall not interfere with the performance of the duties of any employee of the county who is under the direct or indirect control or supervision of the county manager.

(d)

Duties ministerial in nature. It is the intent of the board to grant to the county manager only those powers and duties which are administrative or ministerial in nature and not to delegate any governmental power imbued in the board as the governing body of the county pursuant to Article VIII, Section I(e), Constitution of the State of Florida. To that end, the specifically enumerated powers are to be construed as administrative in nature and in any exercise of government power, the county manager shall only be performing the duty of advising the board in its role as the policy-setting governing body of the county.

(e)

County attorney. Nothing in this division shall be deemed to alter the function of the county attorney as legal advisor to the board of the county commissioners and that office shall continue to report directly to the board.

(Ord. No. 96-01, Art. II, 1-16-96)