§ 11-44C-92 — Commission Form of Government

If a majority of the qualified electors voting in the election provided herein choose the court ordered districted commission form of government in accordance with the consent decree entered into by the parties and approved by the court on April 7, 1983, in the case of Bolden vs.City of Mobile, Civil Action No. 75-297, then the provisions of said court ordered districted commission form shall be applicable to said city.
The three commissioners elected under said court ordered plan from single member districts shall sit as a board and shall possess and exercise all municipal powers, legislative, executive, and judicial, possessed and exercised by city governing bodies as provided by sections 11-44-70 through 11-44-105, as amended, and other applicable laws, except that all functions, responsibilities and operations of the city shall be under the direction and supervision of the board of commissioners as a whole. All three commissioners shall be jointly and equally responsible for all departments, boards and commissions and the discharge of all other administrative duties provided by the applicable state law or this decree. Every department head shall be responsible to the commission as a whole, provided however, that the powers, functions, duties, and rotation of the mayor’s office among the three commissioners shall remain in effect as prescribed by existing state law. No later than 30 days following the date the commissioners take office under the court ordered plan, the city commission shall appoint a city administrator. The city administrator shall serve as the chief administrative officer of the city and oversee the administration of the financial and budgeting, purchasing, planning, recreational and cultural, public works and public safety functions of the government of the city. The city administrator shall be charged with the responsibility of carrying out the policies and objectives established by the board of city commissioners and the coordination of activities of the city government, and shall have wide latitude in accomplishing the daily solution of municipal problems, including the establishment of effective relationships with other governmental bodies and agencies, and the general public. The person holding this position shall have general administrative direction over all departments and employees of the city, provided, that the final executive and administrative authority shall remain with the city commission. Without limitation by the foregoing, the city administrator shall discharge other duties and responsibilities at the direction of the board of commissioners. The compensation to be paid the city administrator shall be set by the city commissioners. The city administrator shall serve at the pleasure of the city commissioners.
The city commission elected pursuant to this court ordered plan shall have the rights, duties, powers, and responsibilities provided by applicable state law except to the extent that such state law provisions conflict with the provisions of this order. If such conflicts arise, the city commission may by resolution or ordinance determine how such conflicts should be resolved; provided, however, that upon the motion of any of the parties, or upon its own motion, the United States district court may reverse or modify the determinations of conflicts by the city commission.

Legislative History

(Acts 1985, No. 85-229, p. 96, §92.)