§ 2.18.030. Powers and duties generally.

A.

It shall be the duty of the city solicitor, alone or through assistant city solicitors, to draft bonds, contracts, deeds, leases, obligations, conveyances and other legal instruments, and to render such professional services as may be required of the solicitor by the mayor or the city council, or by a committee thereof. The solicitor shall furnish legal advice to the heads of city departments when requested by them concerning municipal law questions affecting their respective departments. The solicitor shall attend the meetings of the city council and the meetings of committees of the city council, when requested.

B.

The city solicitor shall, alone or through assistant city solicitors, commence and prosecute all lawsuits requested of the solicitor by the city council, by the mayor, and by the head of any department of the city government touching the business of city departments on behalf of the city. The solicitor shall appear before any of the courts of the commonwealth and in the federal courts of the United States in defense of any actions or lawsuits brought against the city or any of its officers in their official capacity as such, wherein the rights, estates, privileges or ordinances of the city may be brought into question. The city solicitor shall try and argue all causes in which the city may be a party, before any tribunal in the commonwealth or in the United States, before any referee, arbitrator or board of commissioners. When ordered to do so by the city council or the mayor, the city solicitor shall appear before committees of the legislature at hearings on bills affecting the authority or the rights and privileges of the city.

(Prior revision § 2-19)