§ 2-308. Staff of council and president of the council.

(a)

Staff of council. The council shall be authorized to employ such employees as may be necessary for the proper discharge of its functions. Adequate facilities and office space for such staff shall be provided for by the council.

(b)

Staff of president of the council. The president of the council shall be authorized to employ such employees as may be necessary for the proper discharge of the functions of the office of president of the council. Adequate facilities and office space for such staff shall be provided.

(i)

Definitions. The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this section, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this subsection, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

City council assistant means any employee of the President other than a special or senior city council assistant and who is thereby not entitled to participate in the city's health and life insurance program, pension benefits or any other benefits. City council assistants shall be required to execute a release to the city acknowledging that any such employee is ineligible to participate in the life and health insurance program.

Senior city council assistant means an employee whose position has been created in section 114-476 and who thereby receives the same benefits afforded to regular city employees.

Special city council assistant means an employee designated as such by the President and who is thereby entitled to participate in the city's health and life insurance program on the same terms and conditions as other city employees.

(ii)

Number of assistants; salaries. The President shall be entitled to employ up to three (3) senior city council assistants or up to three (3) special city council assistants and such other city council assistants as deemed necessary. Each such employee shall be paid on an hourly or salary basis, as determined by the President, provided the aggregate compensation on behalf all such employees, including the cost of any benefits provided by the city, shall not exceed the total of the amount appropriated for such purpose plus any amount carried over from previous years in accordance with subsection (e). No more than three (3) employees of whatever category of each shall be entitled to benefits.

(iii)

Responsibilities of the president. The president shall be responsible to certify that funds expended for employee service in accordance with this section are expended for public purposes, such public purposes not to include any campaign-connected costs, and shall be responsible for establishing the professional standards, work program, wage rate, supervision, hiring and firing and work location of any employee.

(iv)

Nepotism. No person shall be employed in such position where such person directly supervises or is directly supervised by a member of such person's immediate family. The term "immediate family" includes the spouse, domestic partner registered under section 94-133, mother, father, sister, brother, and natural or adopted children of an official or employee.

(v)

Annual appropriations for salaries and benefits. The total amount of $195,973.00 shall be appropriated annually for the salaries and benefits of the assistants authorized in this section. The amount of annual appropriation shall be increased by the appropriate pro rata amount necessary to equal the average amount of any salary and associated benefit increases given to city employees in any given year.

(c)

Director of council staff.

(1)

The council shall appoint a director of council staff who shall not be a member thereof. The director of council staff shall be appointed and removed at the pleasure of the council upon a majority vote of its membership. The director of council staff need not be a resident of the city at the time of his or her appointment but shall establish residence in the city at the time of appointment and continue to reside in the city throughout such appointment.

(2)

The director of council staff shall supervise all research undertaken on behalf of the council and shall further supervise the provision of administrative support to hearings and meetings of committees and subcommittees of the council and shall perform such other duties as may be assigned by this Charter or by ordinance.

(3)

The director of council staff shall be responsible to the council, and shall perform the duties of his or her office under the direction and supervision of the president of the council and the committee designated by the council, acting through its chairperson.

(1996 Ga. L. (Act No. 1019), p. 4469; Ord. No. 2002-47, § 1, 6-12-02; Ord. No. 2004-40, §§ 1, 2, 6-30-04; Ord. No. 2006-20, § 1, 5-18-06; Ord. No. 2006-54, § 1, 8-29-06; Ord. No. 2018-33(18-O-1411), § 1, 8-29-18 )