Contents of Phoenix City Charter
- Preamble
- Chapter I. Name and Boundaries
- Chapter II. General Powers, Rights and Liabilities
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Chapter III.
Government
- 1 Powers of City to be exercised by City Council; Mayor and Councilmen to be elected; City Manager to execute and administer laws; qualifications of Councilmen.
- 2 The City Manager.
- 3 Creation, etc., of offices, etc.; department heads generally; divisions of departments; appointment of members of agencies, etc.
- 4 Council and Councilmen to deal with City officers and employees through the City Manager.
- 5 Absence of Mayor; vacancy in office of Mayor; vacancy of the Member of Council; special terms; removal of Council Member.
- 6 Mayor and Members of Council to continue until successors qualify; dates of elections; terms of Mayor and Council Members; limitation of terms.
- 7 Salary of Mayor stipulated; contingent fund.
- 8 [Reserved].
- 9 Salaries generally.
- 10 Interpretation of words "Commissioner" and "Council."
- 11 [Reserved].
- 12 Mayor and Council salary and benefits; Citizens’ Commission on Salaries for Elected City Officials.
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Chapter IV.
The Council
- 1 Legislative powers.
- 2 Powers enumerated.
- 3 Mayor to preside; election of vice-chairman.
- 4 Time and place of regular meetings; manner of calling special meetings.
- 5 Meetings to be public.
- 6 Quorum.
- 7 Rules for proceedings.
- 8 Council to act by resolution, ordinance, franchise or formal recorded action.
- 9 Ayes and nays to be recorded.
- 10 When majority vote required.
- 11 Enacting style.
- 12 When actions to be taken by ordinance.
- 13 Motions to reconsider.
- 14 Adoption and transcription of ordinances, resolutions and franchises; effective date; emergency measures; publication.
- 15 How ordinances to be revised, re-enacted and amended.
- 16 How ordinances to be repealed or suspended.
- 17 Ordinances and resolutions to be filed, recorded and certified; ordinances and resolutions as evidence.
- 18 Publication of ordinances and resolutions in book form.
- 19 Minimum times Council to meet; determination of meeting day; calling of first meeting.
- 20 How special meetings called.
- 21 Minute books open to public.
- 22 How petitions to be presented and acted upon.
- 23 When Member excused from voting; failure to vote.
- 24 Manner of exercising, etc., powers, duties, etc., to be prescribed by ordinance.
- Chapter V. The Mayor
- Chapter VI. [Reserved]
- Chapter VII. The City Auditor
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Chapter VIII.
City Court
- 1 City Court as separate and independent branch of City government; when to be open; transactions permitted on non-juridical days.
- 2 Jurisdiction.
- 3 Appointment, term and removal of judges of the City Court; jurisdiction of City Manager over financial, personnel and administrative functions of the Court.
- 4 Appointment of Chief Presiding Judge of the City Court.
- 5 Appointment of judges pro tempore.
- 6 Qualifications of judges of the City Court.
- 7 Duty of Council to provide for Court; disposition of fines, penalties and fees collected.
- 8 Power of judge of the City Court to issue writs and processes and to hear cases; nature of writs and processes; records to be kept; duty of police to execute, serve and make proper return of writs and processes.
- 9 Hearing officers.
- Chapter IX. Bonds and Oaths of Office
- Chapter X. [Reserved]
- Chapter XI. Conflict of Interest; Discrimination
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Chapter XII.
Nomination and Election of Officers
- 1 Mode of nomination of elective officers.
- 2 Number of signatures required on petition; time when petition to be filed; duty of City Clerk to endorse petitions.
- 3 Filing of nominating petition; acceptance by candidate nominated; determination by City Clerk of sufficiency; supplemental petitions; procedure to be followed when petitions found sufficient; procedure to be followed when petition found insufficient.
- 4 Withdrawal of names from nomination.
- 5 Petitions not to be withdrawn or changed after filing.
- 6 City Clerk to preserve petitions.
- 7 List of candidates.
- 8 Form of ballots.
- 9 General requirements for ballots; arrangement of names not to reveal source of candidacy or support of candidates.
- 10 Placing names of candidates on ballots.
- 11 Provisions for write-in votes.
- 12 Sample ballots.
- 13 Recordation of canvass and result; preparation of ballots for runoff election.
- 14 [Reserved].
- 15 Majority vote to elect.
- 16 Runoff election.
- 17 [Reserved].
- 18 Gender of words.
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Chapter XIII.
General Provisions Governing Elections
- 1 Conduct of elections.
- 2 Council to be responsible for holding elections.
- 3 Number of polling places; hours polling places to be kept open.
- 4 Qualifications of electors.
- 5 Campaign contributions and expenditures; contribution source disclosure.
- 6 Elections may be held at same time as other elections.
- 7 Voting systems.
- 8 Limitation on number of special elections.
- 9 Special elections to be conducted in same manner as general election.
- 10 Citywide, general elections.
- Chapter XIV. Special Elections
- Chapter XV. The Initiative
- Chapter XVI. The Referendum
- Chapter XVII. Recall and Removal of Elective Office Holders
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Chapter XVIII.
Finance and Taxation
- 1 Fiscal year.
- 2 Council to provide for tax system; use of County tax services.
- 3 City Manager to prepare annual estimate.
- 4 Submission of estimates to Council; scope of Manager’s estimate.
- 5 Council to prepare budget; scope of budget.
- 6 Preparation of estimates; budget; Council action.
- 7 Annual tax levy.
- 8 Limitation on tax levy.
- 9 Taxes to be uniform and for public purposes only; property to be assessed at full cash value; full cash value defined.
- 10 Tax exempt property; widow’s exemption; provisions for making certain other classes of property exempt; limitation on tax ordinances.
- 11 Additional taxes for special purposes.
- 12 Cash basis fund set up; transfer of sums from cash basis fund to other funds; transfer of sums from any funds to interest funds.
- 13 Tax liens.
- 14 Claims or demands against the City.
- 15 Payment of claims and demands.
- 16 Disposition of City funds collected or received.
- 17 Depositories for City moneys; investments.
- 18 Capital improvement program.
- 19 Exemption of certain goods from taxation.
- Chapter XIX. Contracts
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Chapter XX.
Franchise and Public Utilities
- 1 Vote of people required.
- 2 Franchise to be specific.
- 3 Regulation of rates, fares, service, etc.
- 4 Ordinances granting rights, privileges, etc., to be unambiguous.
- 5 Stock issues in connection with franchises.
- 6 Additional taxes on property of public utilities.
- 7 Policemen, firemen and mailmen to ride streetcars, etc., free.
- 8 Authority of Council to order railroad companies to raise or lower their tracks.
- 9 Right of City to secure the public welfare, etc.
- 10 Exclusive franchises prohibited; renewal of franchises.
- 11 Leasing, etc., of franchises.
- 12 Extension of franchises; side track and switch privileges.
- 13 Common use of tracks, poles, etc.
- 14 Annual reports required of franchise holders; inspection of books and property by City Manager.
- 15 Franchise record to be kept; contents; applicability of section.
- 16 Account books.
- 17 Time limit of franchises; compensation to City.
- 18 Purchase of public utilities by City; conditions of grants; right of City to operate or sell plants and property acquired.
- 19 Additional conditions of grants.
- 20 Temporary permits and licenses for use of streets, alleys, etc.
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Chapter XXI.
Miscellaneous Provisions
- 1 Effective date of Charter.
- 2 Conduct of first election.
- 3 Assumption of office by original officers.
- 4 Mayor and Councilmen to remain until successors qualify; termination of the terms of other officers and employees; compensation of other officers and employees.
- 5 Ordinances, etc., to remain in force.
- 6 Duties of City Attorney; authority of Council to employ additional attorneys.
- 7 Prosecution of violations of Charter and ordinances; imprisonment of violators.
- 8 Enlargement of City.
- 9 Plenary and implied powers of the Council.
- 10 Pending prosecutions to be carried to judgement.
- Chapter XXII. Amendments
- Chapter XXIII. Parks and Recreation Board
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Chapter XXIV.
Phoenix City Employees’ Retirement Law of 1953
- Article I. Repeal of Phoenix City Employees’ Retirement System Law of 1945
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Article II.
City of Phoenix Employees’ Retirement Plan
- 1 Short title.
- 2 Definitions.
- 3 Retirement plan continued.
- 4 Retirement Board.
- 5 Retirement plan officers.
- 6 Surety bonds.
- 7 Records.
- 8 Board meetings.
- 9 Annual report.
- 10 Adoption of experience tables and regular interest.
- 11 Annual valuations.
- 12 Membership.
- 13 Membership terminates.
- 14 Credited service.
- 15 Military service credit.
- 16 Crediting service.
- 17 Voluntary retirement.
- 18 Reserved.
- 19 Pension.
- 20 Deferred pension.
- 21 Disability retirement.
- 22 Form and duration of disability benefit payments.
- 23 Determination of disability.
- 24 Pension options.
- 25 Survivor pensions.
- 26 Return of accumulated contributions.
- 27 Employees’ savings fund.
- 28 Pension accumulation fund.
- 29 Pension reserve fund.
- 30 Mortality reserve fund.
- 31 Income fund.
- 32 Allowance of regular interest.
- 33 Expense fund.
- 34 Fiscal management.
- 35 False statements.
- 36 Errors.
- 37 Exemption from taxation and execution.
- 38 Applicability of amendments.
- 39 Pension guarantee.
- 40 Adjustment of pensions.
- 41 Post-retirement distribution benefit for City employees.
- 42 Post-retirement pension benefits equalization program.
- 43 Tax qualified governmental pension plan.
- Article III. Transfer of Assets and Liabilities
- Article IV. Retroactive Employer Social Security Taxes
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Chapter XXV.
Personnel System
- 1 Purpose and policy.
- 2 Civil Service Board.
- 3 Powers and duties of the Board.
- 4 Legal representation.
- 5 City service.
- 6 Personnel Official.
- 7 Action Required by Council.
- 8 Proposal and promulgation of personnel rules.
- 9 Equal employment opportunity.
- 10 Employees to retain positions.
- 11 Political activity.
- 12 Penalty.
- 13 Repeal.
- 14 Strikes and binding arbitration prohibited.
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Chapter XXVI.
City of Phoenix Mountain Preserves
- 1 Mountain Preserves—Defined.
- 2 Disposition of Mountain Preserve property.
- 3 Use of Mountain Preserve property.
- 4 Trading of City Mountain Preserve property.
- 5 An initiative measure to prevent sale, trade, alienation, redesignation, lease or other deletion or removal of any City Mountain Preserve land without approval of a majority of electors voting thereon.
- Chapter XXVII. Voter Approval for Certain Public Expenditures; Limitation on Emergency Clause
- Tables