15-1407.   Department commissioners; powers and duties.The mayor shall be, ex officio, the commissioner of the police and firedepartments, and shall have under his or her special charge, and beresponsible for, the enforcement of all city ordinances and policeregulations of such city, and have general supervision over the firedepartment, shall have under his or her special charge the public parks andall property of such city, and shall have supervision over the healthdepartment of such city, and shall in conjunction with the commissioner ofstreets keep the streets, alleys and public grounds of such city in asanitary condition, and shall enforce all rules and regulations necessaryto this end and shall protect the health of the inhabitants of such city.

      The board of commissioners shall, by a majority vote of all membersthereof, designate from among their number one commissioner, who shall beknown as "commissioner of finance, revenue, and waterworks," and lightingplant owned by said city, who shall have under his or her special chargethe preparation of an annual budget, and the levy of taxes and thecollection of all revenues belonging to such city, from whatever source thesame may be derived, and the management of the finances of such city, andthe construction, maintenance and operation of any waterworks owned by anysuch city; and one commissioner, who shall be known as "commissioner ofstreets, alleys and public improvements," who shall have under his or herspecial care the supervision of streets and alleys, and the repair,construction and maintenance of sidewalks, bridges, and sewers, and allother public improvements not herein otherwise provided for and shall havegeneral supervision over the engineering department of such city, and thecommissioner shall also see that all contracts for public improvementsunder his or her supervision are faithfully complied with, and that theconditions of all permits to excavate in the streets and alleys of the cityand the grant of any franchise or privilege are faithfully performed.

      Said board of commissioners so constituted shall have control andsupervision over all the departments of such city and to that end shallhave power to make and enforce such rules and regulations as they may deemfit and proper for and concerning the organization, management andoperation of all the departments of such city, and whatever agencies may becreated for the administration of its affairs.

      In case at any time the duties of any of said commissioners shall befound to be excessive, said board of commissioners, by a majority vote ofall the members thereof, may relieve said commissioner by assigning to someother member of said board, for a time to be by them determined, a portionof the work assigned by this act to said commissioner; and said board mayfrom time to time assign such further duties to each of said commissionersas shall be for the best interests of such city.

      History:   L. 1913, ch. 128, § 13; March 19; R.S. 1923, § 15-1407.