Docs re Amendments Ch 4, 6, 8 and 12

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City Administrative Staff Although the city code authorizes the appoint- usually supervises the daily administration of city ment of a city assessor,2 a later law required cities business, such as keeping records, writing letters, with a population of less than 10,000 which and keeping accounts. Oftentimes the clerk sees employed a city assessor after 1972 to notify the that city employees carry out council decisions. . commissioner of revenue that they had a licensed The clerk has several statutory duties. assessor. If the city did not give this notice, the county assessor assumed the duties of the city as- Executive officer for the council.The clerk is the sessor. 3 Since June 15, 1975 city assessors must executive officer for the statutory city council. be licensed. 4 With the approval of the commis- Clerks perform this duty in many charter cities as sioner of revenue,any city under 10,000 population well. In this capacity, the clerk does the following: which does not now have a city assessor may reinstate the office of city assessor by hiring a 1. Keeps records of all council proceedings, licensed assessor. 5 including preparing minutes of council meetings and maintaining the ordinance The department of revenue has information on book; the state certification program. 2. Handles all correspondence on behalf of Clerk and Treasurer the council; _ Plan A cities must appoint a clerk and a 3. Draws up agendas and prepares or super- treasurer, or a clerk-treasurer. Because the vises the preparation of other working treasurer's duties are, in most respects, the same papers the council uses at the meetings; as the clerk's duties, many cities think the former and office is unnecessary. The law authorizes integra- tion of the offices into the single position of clerk- 4. Executes any duties the council assigns to treasurer. Cities under Optional Plan B have al- the clerk.In many cities,the clerk also does ways been able to combine the position of this for administrative boards such as the treasurer with that of any other city administrative utilities commission. officer except the manager. Elections.The clerk handles most of the details The city council, by ordinance, may delegate all involved in conducting city elections. or part of the clerk's bookkeeping duties to an- other officer or employee. 6 The person respon- Financial responsibilities. Except for those sible for these duties must be bonded. If the city records the treasurer must keep, the clerk main- makes the treasurer responsible for all bookkeep- tains all financial records.Where the city has com- ing functions, the city must audit its financial bined the office of clerk and treasurer, the clerk records. Copies of the ordinance delegating the performs all duties.In addition,the clerk must an- bookkeeping functions must go to the state nually prepare three different financial reports. auditor. (See Part VI.) . Civil Defense Director_.... If the council makes appropriations or allot- ments" ""` '" ' under a budget, the clerk usually has the All cities must have a civil defense director who duty of administering the budget. is responsible for all civil defense activities in the The city must make monthly payroll deductions city in conformity with regulations of the division for the public employees' retirement association of emergency services of the department of public and Social Security contributions from each safety. i Many smaller cities have designated their employee and remit them and the employer's fire chief as civil defense director. con- tributions to the appropriate state officer.A state- Clerk C ment of the amount of these deductions, the amount of salaries from which they came, and the v names of the employees for whom the city is The clerk i¢ a central figure in any city govern- making the payment must accompany the pay- ment, with a wide variety of duties and respon- meats. The preparation of this statement is the sibilities. Not only does the clerk execute many of duty of each department head in the city, but the city's governmental functions, but he or she Page 126 Handbook for Minnesota Cities