40-09 Governing Body and Executive Officer in Commission Cities
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is composed of the president of the board of city commissioners and not less than three city
commissioners. The number of city commissioners may be increased or decreased pursuant to
section 40-06-09.40-09-02. Governing body is judge of election and qualifications of members. Theboard of city commissioners shall be the judge of the election and qualifications of its own
members.40-09-03. Regulations governing election of commissioners. The members of theboard of city commissioners must be elected at large and not by wards. Each voter may vote for
one of the candidates for the office of president of the board of city commissioners and for as
many candidates for the office of city commissioner as there are commissioners to be elected.
Candidates for the city commission may run for either the office of city commissioner or the office
of president of the board of city commissioners but not both in the same election. A candidate
may run for only one office in a city at any given election.40-09-04.Commissioners - Terms - Resignations.Each commissioner and thepresident of the board of city commissioners shall hold office for four years commencing on the
fourth Tuesday in June of the year in which the officer was elected and until a successor has
been duly elected and qualified.The commission shall establish by ordinance a procedurewhereby one-half of all commissioners, as nearly as practicable, are elected biennially. The
president or any other member of the board may resign from office by filing a written resignation
with the city auditor, who shall submit the resignation to the board of city commissioners at its
next regular meeting or at a special meeting called for consideration of the resignation. The
resignation is effective upon its acceptance by the board.40-09-05. President and board of commissioners succeed to powers and duties ofmayor and council. If the city previously was organized under the council form of government,
the first president and the other members of the first board of city commissioners elected after a
city has incorporated under the city commission system of government are the successors of the
mayor and council members of the city.Upon the qualification of the president and othermembers of the board, all the powers, rights, and duties of the mayor and council of the city
cease. Whenever the city previously, under the decree or judgment of any court or under any
law, ordinance, or resolution, has been entitled to representation through the mayor of the city
and one or more of the council members of the city, on the board of directors of any incorporated
company in which the city may own stock or be interested, it must be represented on the board
of directors by the president of the board of city commissioners and by two other members of the
board to be selected by the board.40-09-06. Style of board - Oath and salary of commissioners. The commissionersand the president of the board constitute the board of city commissioners and shall take an oath
faithfully to perform the duties of their respective offices.The monthly salary of each citycommissioner must be fixed by ordinance. The president of a commission may receive a salary
of up to fifty percent more than the level set for each commissioner upon resolution by the board
of city commissioners.40-09-07. Bond and oath of commissioner. Each commissioner, before entering uponthe duties of office, shall furnish a bond in the penal sum of three thousand dollars conforming to
the provisions of law applicable to the bonds of state officers. In addition to the oath prescribed
by the Constitution of North Dakota, each commissioner shall take an oath that the commissioner
is not under any direct or indirect obligation to appoint or elect any person to the office of police
officer, firefighter, or any other office, position, or employment under the city government. EachPage No. 1commissioner elected shall qualify under the provisions of this section within ten days after the
receipt of the commissioner's certificate of election.40-09-08. President of board as executive officer - Duties - No veto power. Thepresident of the board of city commissioners shall be the executive officer of the city and shall
see that all the laws of the city are enforced. The president shall have the right to vote as a
member of the board but shall have no veto power.40-09-09. Vice president and acting president of board - Powers to act. At the firstmeeting of the board after each biennial election, one of its own members shall be elected vice
president. The vice president shall perform all the duties of the office of president in the absence
or disability of the president to act. In the absence or disability to act of both the president and
the vice president, the board shall elect one of its members as acting president, who shall have
all the powers and perform all the duties of the president during the absence or disability.40-09-10. How vacancies in board filled. If a vacancy occurs in the office of a citycommissioner or president of the board of city commissioners, the board may call a special city
election to fill such vacancy for the unexpired term, or may, after fifteen days from the date of
such vacancy appoint a person to fill such vacancy until the next city election, at which election
the unexpired term shall be filled. Upon petition of five percent of the qualified electors, as
determined by the total number of votes cast in the city in the last general election, the
commission shall call a special city election to fill a vacancy occurring more than six months prior
to the next city election, provided such petition has been submitted within fifteen days of the date
of such vacancy.40-09-11.Meetings of board - Regular and special - Action on departmentalmatters. The board of city commissioners shall meet in regular meeting at least once a month
and at such additional times as the board, by ordinance, may establish. All regular meetings
shall be held at a time and place to be designated by the board. No action of the board shall be
effective unless upon a vote of a majority of a quorum of the members of such board. No final
action shall be taken in any matter concerning the special department of any absent
commissioner unless such business has been made a special order of the day or such action is
taken at a regular meeting of the board. Special meetings may be called at any time by the
president or any two members of the board to consider matters mentioned in the call of such
meeting. Written notice of any special meeting shall be given to each member of the board.40-09-12. Departments of administration of city divided among commissioners -Duties. The board of city commissioners, by a majority vote of all the members thereof, shall
designate from among its members:1.A police and fire commissioner who shall have under that commissioner's special
charge the enforcement of all police regulations of the city and the general
supervision of the fire department of the city.2.A commissioner of streets and improvements who shall have under that
commissioner's special charge the supervision of the streets and alleys of the city
and who shall be charged with responsibility for the lighting, cleaning, and sanitary
condition of the streets and alleys and with the enforcement of all rules and
regulations relating thereto, and with the preservation of the health of the inhabitants
of the city. That commissioner shall have under that commissioner's special charge
the supervision of all public improvements and shall see that all contracts for such
improvements and the conditions of all grants of franchises or privileges are
complied with faithfully and performed.3.Awaterworksandseweragecommissionerwhoshallhaveunderthatcommissioner's special charge the waterworks and sewerage department of the city
and who shall see to the enforcement of all regulations with respect to those
departments and all revenue pertaining to those departments.Page No. 24.A commissioner of finance and revenue who shall have under that commissioner's
special charge the enforcement of all laws for the assessment and collection of
taxes of every kind and the collection of all revenues belonging to the city, from
whatever source the same may be derived, and who shall examine into and keep
informed as to the finances of the city.The duties assigned to the various members of the board by this section may be otherwise
distributed by a majority vote of the board's members.40-09-13. Accounts - Audited by respective commissioners - Approved by board.The commissioner who is the head of each department shall audit all accounts against it, but
before payment the accounts shall be acted upon and approved by at least three members of the
board of city commissioners.Approval by at least three members of the board of citycommissioners shall be recorded in the record of the board and this shall be sufficient to indicate
approval without requiring the approving members to sign or initial the voucher or order for
payment of the account.40-09-14. Rules and regulations governing departments and agencies of city madeby board. The board of city commissioners shall have the sole authority to pass and adopt rules
and regulations concerning the organization, management, and operation of all the departments
of the city and the other agencies created by it for the administration of the city's affairs.40-09-15.Special police - President of board may call - Powers.Repealed byS.L. 1975, ch. 106,