Section 11-43A-84
Appointment of city manager; temporary acting city manager; term of city manager; removal; actions by council or its members prohibited or restricted.
(a) The council, by a majority vote of the whole qualified membership of the council, shall appoint a city manager who shall be an officer of the city and shall have the powers to perform the duties provided in this article. No councilman shall receive such appointment during the term for which he shall have been elected nor within one year after expiration of his term. Any civil service act which may be applicable to the municipality shall not apply to the appointment or removal of the city manager.
(b) A temporary acting city manager may be designated by the council to serve for not more than four months in the following events, but only in these events: (1) When the first council takes office after adoption of this article; or (2) following the removal of any permanent city manager.
(c) Such temporary acting city manager shall perform the duties and assume the obligations of the office of city manager and may be removed by the council at any time. If the council shall permit the temporary acting manager to serve for longer than four months, he shall become the permanent city manager.
(d) The council shall appoint the city manager for an indefinite term, and the council may remove him at any time by a majority vote of the whole qualified membership of the council.
(e) Neither the council nor any of its members shall direct or request the appointment of any person to or his removal from office by the city manager, nor shall they take part in any manner in the appointment or removal of officers and employees in administrative service to the city. Except for the purpose of inquiry, the mayor and the members of the council shall deal with the administrative services and employees only through the city manager, and neither the mayor nor any member of the council shall give orders to any subordinates of the city manager, either publicly or privately. Any mayor or member of the council violating the provisions of this section, or voting for a resolution or ordinance in violation of this section, shall be guilty of a Class C misdemeanor. Upon conviction of a second violation of this section, the person so convicted shall forfeit his office.
(Acts 1991, No. 91-545, p. 973, §15.)