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City attorney summarizes home-rule charter, hierarchy of laws and mayor's duties
Summary
At a council briefing, the city attorney explained how Watertown's Home Rule Charter, state statute and city ordinances interact, outlined limits on council administrative action, and reviewed the mayor's formal duties.
City Attorney Lisa told the Watertown City Council on Oct. 5 that the Home Rule Charter sits at the top of the local legal hierarchy and that matters not addressed by the charter fall to state statute, then city ordinance and then administrative policy. "Under, state law, your home rule charter is actually what is in the hierarchy and precedence is above state statute," Lisa said during a presentation broadcast on Facebook, YouTube and GovTV.
She said the charter assigns administrative responsibility to the city manager and directs the council to avoid direct involvement in management except through oversight of the city manager. "Under…
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