City Charter

Introduction

Springfield operates under a Council/Manager form of government first adopted when voters approved the City's Charter on March 17, 1953.

Under the City Charter, the Mayor must run for re-election every two years while Councilmembers serve four-year terms. The City Manager and City Clerk are the two city employees directly under the supervision of the City Council. The City Manager is the chief executive and administrative officer and is responsible for the administrative affairs of the city.

Preamble

In Order to Secure the Benefits and Advantages of the Constitution of the State of Missouri, Adopted in the Year 1945, and to Establish Home Rule for the City Under the Provisions Thereof, the People of Springfield, Missouri, Hereby Adopt the Following Charter.

Index

Article I. Incorporation; Form of Government; Powers; Zones: 1.1 Incorporation.; 1.1.1 Extended Corporate Limits.; 1.2 Form of government.; 1.3 Powers of the city.; 1.4 Zones.; 1.5 Extended City Limits.
Article II. The Council: 2.1 Number and term.; 2.2 Qualifications.; 2.3 Salary.; 2.4 Rules of order.; 2.5 Vacancies.; 2.6 Mayor; Election and duties.; 2.7 Appointment and removal of city manager.; 2.8 Prohibition of interference.; 2.9 City Clerk.; 2.10 Creation of new departments or offices; change of duties.; 2.11 Meetings.; 2.12 Legislative proceedings.; 2.13 Revision of ordinances.; 2.14 Annual audit.; 2.15 Investigator.; 2.16 Enumeration of certain powers.
Article III. The City Manager: 3.1 Qualifications; term of office.; 3.2 Compensation.; 3.3 Powers and duties.; 3.4 Administrative assistants.
Article IV. Administrative Service: 4.1 Departments and boards.; 4.2 Appointment, removal and duties of department heads.; 4.3 Police department--Establish- ment; director.; 4.4 Same-Function; operation; organization; jurisdiction.; 4.5 Fire department--Establish- ment; director.; 4.6 Same Function; operation; organization.
Article V. Department of Finance: 5.1 Director--Appointment; qualifications.; 5.2 Same--Powers and duties.; 5.3 Division of purchases.; 5.4 Competitive bidding.; 5.5 Representation on board of equalization.; 5.6 Fiscal year.; 5.7 Tentative budget.; 5.8 Final budget and budget message.; 5.9 Budget a public record.; 5.10 Public hearing.; 5.11 Adoption of the budget.; 5.12 Effective date, certification and copies of the budget.; 5.13 Appropriations.; 5.14 Expenditures limited to budget.; 5.15 Contracts.; 5.16 Tax rates and tax rolls.; 5.17 Transfer of unexpended appropriations.; 5.18 General provisions.; 5.19 Incurring indebtedness.; 5.20 Specific purposes.; 5.21 Vote required for issuance of bonds.; 5.22 Conduct of election.; 5.23 Debt statement.; 5.24 Sale of bonds.; 5.25 Issuance of refunding bonds.
Article VI. Department of Personnel: 6.1 Director--Appointment; qualifications.; 6.2 Same--Powers and duties.; 6.3 Personnel board--generally.; 6.4 Same--Powers and duties.; 6.5 Classification of personnel.; 6.6 Merit system rules.; 6.7 Application register.; 6.8 Retirement plans.; 6.9 Present employees continued in office.; 6.10 Rights of employees.; 6.11 Prohibitions.; 6.12 Violations.
Article VII. Department of Law: 7.1 City attorney--Appointment; qualifications.; 7.2 Same--Powers and duties.; 7.3 Assistants--special counsel.
Article VIII. Department of Public Works: 8.1 Director--Appointment and qualifications.; 8.2 Same--Powers and duties.
Article IX. Department of Public Health and Welfare: 9.1 Director--Appointment; qualifications; 9.2 Same--Powers and duties.
Article X. Public Improvements: 10.1 Power to make public improvements.; 10.2 Property subject to special assessment.; 10.3 Method of payment.; 10.4 Letting of contracts.; 10.5 Proceedings relative to improvements.; 10.6 Notice of public improvement and remonstrances.; 10.7 Finding of council to be conclusive.; 10.8 Intervening street connections.; 10.9 Sidewalk repair.; 10.9.5 Assessment of water main extensions.; 10.10 Sewers.; 10.11 Acquiring private sewers.; 10.12 Method of levying assessments.; 10.13 Levy of assessment.; 10.14 Erroneous or invalid assessments.; 10.15 Passage of ordinances.; 10.16 Additional provisions.; 10.17 Public improvement fund.; 10.18 Special assessment bonds and temporary notes.; 10.19 Completion of existing public improvements.
Article XI. Planning and Zoning: 11.1 Planning and Zoning Commission--Organization.; 11.2 The Planning and Zoning Commission--Powers and duties.; 11.3 Director of planning.; 11.4 Board of adjustment.; 11.5 The master plan generally.; 11.6 Adoption of master plan.; 11.7 Legal status of master plan.
11.8 Regulations governing subdivisions and development of land.
11.9 Tentative approval of plats.
11.10 Lines of mapped streets.; 11.11 Official map.; 11.12 Modification of official map.; 11.13 Buildings in mapped street.; 11.14 Hearings on building in mapped streets.; 11.15 Legal effect of official map.; 11.16 Zoning.; 11.17 Powers of council in replanning and redevelopment of neighbor- hoods and disaster areas.; 11.18 Procedure for adoption of plans by council.
Article XII. The Municipal Court: 12.1 Jurisdiction and powers.; 12.2 Judge of the municipal court.; 12.3 Place of holding court.; 12.4 Compensation of municipal judge; disposition of costs and fines.; 12.5 Marshal.; 12.6 Proceedings.; 12.7 Jury trial and costs.
Article XIII. Nominations and Elections.: 13.1 Time of elections.; 13.2 Regulations of elections.; 13.3 When magistrate may conduct election.; 13.4 Vacancies created by recall--election.; 13.4.1 Nomination by petition.; 13.5 Preparation of ballots.; 13.6 Voting machines.; 13.7 Returns; canvass.; 13.8 Tie vote.; 13.9 Voting precincts.
Article XIV. Initiative, Referendum, and Recall.: 14.1 Initiative.; 14.2 Referendum.; 14.3 Petitions.; 14.4 Filing and certification of petition.; 14.5 Amended petitions.; 14.6 Effect of an initiative petition.; 14.7 Effect of a referendum petition.; 14.8 Voting.; 14.9 Effect of vote.; 14.10 Recall petition.; 14.11 Recall election.; 14.12 Recall ballot.; 14.13 Effect of election.; 14.14 Limitation on recall.; 14.15 Conduct of initiative, referendum and recall elections.
Article XV. Boards: 15.1 Definitions and classification.; 15.2 Power to establish boards.; 15.3 Applicability of article.; 15.4 Power of the council.; 15.5 Members; terms; qualifications and restrictions.; 15.6 Appointment and removal.; 15.7 Personnel.; 15.8 Purchases and contracts.; 15.9 Finances.; 15.10 Budget.; 15.11 Disbursement of funds.; 15.12 Organization and procedure.; 15.13 Reports and audit.; 15.14 Gifts and donations.; 15.15 Powers and duties of the boards.; 15.16 Park board.; 15.17 Library board.; 15.18 Children's home board.; 15.19 Airport board.; 15.20 Art museum board.
Article XVI. Board of Public Utilities: 16.1 Definitions.; 16.2 Composition of the board.; 16.3 Appointment of board.; 16.4 Organization of the board.; 16.5 Restrictions on the board.; 16.6 Duties.; 16.7 Powers.; 16.8 Budget provision.; 16.9 Disbursements.; 16.10 Funds.; 16.11 Accounting.; 16.12 Purchases and contracts.; 16.13 The rate making provisions.; 16.14 Employees of public utilities.; 16.15 Payment into city treasury and services furnished.; 16.16 Disposition of net income.; 16.17 Sale of public utilities.; 16.18 Condemnation.; 16.19 Area of service.
Article XVII. Franchises: 17.1 Granting of franchises.; 17.2 Right of regulation.; 17.3 Purchases; condemnation.; 17.4 Revocable permits.; 17.5 Operation beyond franchise period.
Article XVIII. Licensing of Occupations and Business: 18.1 Occupations.; 18.2 Reservation.; 18.3 Liability to taxation.; 18.4 Classification.; 18.5 Period of issue.; 18.6 Exclusions.
Article XIX. Miscellaneous Provisions.: 19.1 Judicial notice of the Charter.; 19.2 Ordinances to remain in force.; 19.3 Proof of ordinance.; 19.4 Pending actions and proceedings.; 19.5 Continuance of contracts, public improvements, and taxes.; 19.6 Transfer of records and property.; 19.7 Salaries.; 19.8 Oath of office.; 19.9 Official bonds.; 19.10 Notice of suits.; 19.11 Judicial bonds.; 19.12 Rate of taxation.; 19.13 Security of deposits.; 19.14 Remitting taxes prohibited.; 19.15 Officers; employees; qualification.; 19.16 Officers and employees interested in contracts.; 19.17 Power to administer oaths.; 19.18 Condemnation proceedings.; 19.19 Use of equipment and supplies.; 19.20 Terms of present boards.; 19.21 Dissolution of boards.; 19.22 Appointment of boards.; 19.23 Assessed valuations.; 19.24 Compensation of county assessor.; 19.25 Effect of unconstitutional provisions.; 19.26 Contracts and ordinances contrary to Charter.; 19.27 Use of the masculine pronoun.; 19.28 Amending the Charter.

Charter Reprinted April, 1993 Covering all Elections through December 31, 1992

Model Ordinances