ADM-2.02 – Delegation of Mayor and City Administrator Authority

Purpose

This rule focuses on the authority of individuals to act on behalf of the Mayor or City Administrator in the discharge of their administrative duties.

Employees should understand their authority to act on behalf of other employees, elected officials, and the city and ensure that their actions are within the course and scope of their employment. Generally, the rights and duties of an employee is inferable from the employee’s class specification, applicable city policies, and specific supervisory direction.

Employees acting unreasonably beyond the course and scope of their authority can be subject to personnel actions and can find themselves not covered by the city’s insurance or other indemnification policies.

Questions regarding the scope of one’s authority to act on behalf of the city or other city employees should be directed to one’s immediate supervisor.

Authority

Mayor’s Authority

By City Charter (§ 2-101), all executive and administrative authority is vested the Mayor, who will appoint and direct a city administrator.

City Administrator’s Authority

By City Charter (§ 2-406), the City Administrator is responsible for the proper and efficient administration of all City business.

In exercising these powers, the City Administrator has control over the financial affairs of the city, enforces laws adopted by Council, establishes administrative rules (known also as Portland Policy Documents), general supervision and control over all city employees (except the Mayor, Council members, City Auditor, the Chief of Police, the City Attorney, and support staff of the Mayor or Council), and any other powers and duties delegated by the Mayor. The City Administrator may delegate and sub delegate rights and duties to any bureau, program, officer, or employee of the City. Examples of delegated duties include:

• the authority to make personnel decisions,
• the authority to sign contracts (subject to purchasing code or purchasing policy limitations),
• the authority to sign a report for submittal to the state or federal government,
• the authority to speak on behalf of the city regarding a particular matter.

Assistant City Administrator’s Authority

An Assistant City Administrator is a person appointed as the City Administrator’s main surrogate. An Assistant City Administrator possesses those administrative powers and duties the City Administrator chooses to delegate, which may include the authority to sign all documents on behalf of the City consistent with law and applicable city policies. Like the City Administrator, the Assistant City Administrator may delegate and sub delegate rights and duties to any bureau, program, officer, or employee of the city.

Deputy City Administrators’ Authority

A Deputy City Administrator is a person appointed to manage the daily operations of one of the City’s service areas. A Deputy City Administrator possesses those administrative powers and duties the City Administrator chooses to delegate, which may include the authority to sign all documents on behalf of the City consistent with law and applicable city policies. Like the City Administrator, a Deputy City Administrator may delegate and sub delegate rights and duties to any bureau, program, officer, or employee of the city.

Emergencies

PCC Title 15, Emergency Code, provides a line of succession that applies in case of a declared state of emergency. In case of a declared state of emergency, the Mayor continues to serve as the executive and administrative head of the city. However, if the Mayor is unable or unavailable to perform the duties of the office during a state of emergency, then the Mayor’s duties are performed by the City Administrator or whomever is next on the list of successors identified in PCC 15.08.010.

A person in the line of succession who assumes the Mayor or the City Administrator’s administrative duties during a declared emergency relinquishes the assumed duties once a person of higher precedence in the line of succession is able and available. The line of succession described in the Emergency Code only applies in the case of a declared state of emergency.

Requirements

The Bureau of Human Resources will manage the process of updating this administrative rule and will administer the delegation process and keep an easily accessible record of all delegations or sub delegations from the Mayor and the City Administrator in accordance with the City’s records retention requirements.

The City Administrator may designate, in writing to both the City Attorney and Mayor, a qualified administrative officer or employee of the City to perform all City Administrator duties during any temporary absence.