§ 14. [County manager.]

The board of commissioners shall employ a county manager having at least a bachelor's degree in public administration or a related field or at least five years' experience as a county manager or city manager. The county manager shall serve at the pleasure of the board of commissioners, shall receive such salary as determined by the board of commissioners, shall not be an elected official of any county or municipality, and shall have the following duties, powers and authority:

(1)

To supervise the administration of the affairs of the county and to see that the ordinances, resolutions and regulations of the board of commissioners and the laws of the state are faithfully executed and enforced;

(2)

To employ and remove all department heads of the county under the jurisdiction of the board of commissioners and staff employees of the county manager, pursuant to policies established by the board, except for the county attorney, county auditor and members of all the boards, commissions and authorities who shall be appointed and removed by the board of commissioners pursuant to law or county ordinance;

(3)

To exercise managerial authority and supervision over the county manager's staff and all department heads under the jurisdiction of the board of commissioners;

(4)

To require reports from heads of departments and other employees entrusted with administrative duties or exercising discretion. The county manager shall have at all times the authority to examine all books and records of every officer and department of the county under the jurisdiction of the board of commissioners;

(5)

To attend all meetings of the board of commissioners, with a right to take part in the discussions, but having no vote, and to prepare an agenda of both new and unresolved business for each meeting;

(6)

To recommend to the board of commissioners for adoption such measures as the county manager may deem necessary or expedient;

(7)

To supervise the performance of all contracts made by any person, company or corporation with the county for work done for the board of commissioners;

(8)

To submit to the board of commissioners for approval, prior to July 31 of each year, a proposed operating budget for the next fiscal year, showing budget revenues and expenditures during the preceding fiscal year; appropriations and estimated revenue and recommended expenditures for the next fiscal year; recommended salaries; proposed capital expenditures; recommended tax levies; and such other information and data as may be considered necessary by the board of commissioners;

(9)

To keep the board of commissioners fully advised as to the financial condition and needs of the county;

(10)

To make, or cause to be made, a full written report to the board of commissioners each month, showing the operations and expenditures of each department of the county government for the preceding month;

(11)

To serve as or designate a personnel director in the supervision and administration of the county's personnel system for county employees;

(12)

To delegate purely administrative duties to department heads or subordinates in the county government whose work the county manager shall supervise and direct; provided, however, that the delegation or assignment of duties to subordinates shall not relieve the county manager from the responsibility for administration of county affairs;

(13)

To act as the clerk of the board of commissioners of Jackson County, with the authority to delegate the administrative duties of such position;

(14)

To perform such other duties as may be prescribed by this act [article] or as may, from time to time, be required by the board of commissioners; and

(15)

To cooperate with elected and appointed county officers in the management of the county's affairs.

Editor's note

By local rule, the county manager is allowed to expend funds up to $20,000.