SEC. 3.104. CITY ADMINISTRATOR.
§ 3.104
The Mayor appoints a City Administrator (subject to Board confirmation) who must have at least ten years of government management or finance experience, with at least five years at city/county level, and serves a five-year term. The City Administrator oversees administrative services, long-term debt and procurement policies, capital projects (with limited exceptions), bond measures, and advertising budgets, and has power to appoint certain department heads, propose procurement rules, award contracts independently, and coordinate bond issuance.
The Mayor hires a City Administrator (with the Board of Supervisors' approval) who must have significant experience in government management or finance. The City Administrator runs most of the city's day-to-day administration, including handling debt, contracts, and building permits. They supervise certain departments, can award contracts on their own without Board approval (as long as the law allows it), and help manage the city's bond offerings. The Mayor and Board together can remove the Administrator if needed.
- Complex:The section lists nine distinct responsibilities and powers spread across multiple numbered items with cross-references to other city commissions and exceptions, making it dense and somewhat difficult to parse the full scope of authority.
- Could be simpler:The exception clause about Airport, Port, Public Utilities and Public Transportation Commissions appears twice (items 3 and 9) and could be consolidated into a single statement to reduce redundancy.
AI-generated · claude-haiku-4-5 · informational only, not legal advice.
Official text
The Mayor shall appoint or reappoint a City Administrator, subject to confirmation by the Board of Supervisors. The appointee shall have at least ten years' governmental management or finance experience with at least five years at the City, County, or City and County level. The City Administrator shall have a term of office of five years, and may be removed by the Mayor subject to approval by the Board of Supervisors.
The City Administrator shall have responsibility for:
1. Administrative services within the executive branch, as assigned by the Mayor or by ordinance;
2. Administering policies and procedures regarding bonded or other long-term indebtedness, procurement, contracts and building and occupancy permits, and for assuring that all contracts and permits are issued in a fair and impartial manner and that any inspections involved with the issuance of permits shall be carried out in a like manner;
3. Coordinating all capital improvement and construction projects except projects solely under the Airport, Port, Public Utilities and Public Transportation Commissions;
4. Preparing and recommending bond measures for consideration by the Mayor and Board of Supervisors; and
5. Administering, budgeting and control of publicity and advertising expenditures.
The City Administrator shall have power to:
6. With the concurrence of the Mayor, appoint and remove the directors of the Departments of Administrative Services, Solid Waste, and Public Guardian/Administrator, and such other department heads which are placed under the City Administrator’s direction;
7. Propose rules governing procurement and contracts to the Board of Supervisors for consideration;
8. Award contracts without interference from the Mayor or Board of Supervisors; and
9. Coordinate the issuance of bonds and notes for capital improvements, equipment and cash flow borrowings, except for projects solely under the Airport, Port, Public Utilities and Public Transportation Commissions.
In those instances where contract awards are not subject to Board of Supervisors' review, the City Administrator shall award contracts in full compliance with applicable laws and this Charter. The City Administrator's decision in such cases shall be final.
(Amended by Proposition B, Approved 11/3/2020)