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Council members debate draft ordinance to create town manager post, seek longer post‑election protection
Summary
Virgin councilors discussed a draft ordinance that would create a town manager position, set duties and ethics requirements, and establish limits on removal or resignation timing; councilors asked staff to revise the draft and circulate it for legal review before the next regular meeting.
Members of the Virgin Town Council discussed a proposed ordinance to create an office of town (or city) manager and the accompanying hiring procedures during a work session. The council agreed to send an edited draft to staff and counsel for review before the next regular meeting.
The proposed ordinance would create the office in the municipal code (draft section cited as 2.06), list powers and duties, require adherence to the ICMA Code of Ethics and state ethics requirements, and set rules about removal and resignation. Draft language discussed includes a provision that would bar removal of the town manager within a window following a municipal election; the drafter used a 90‑day window from a St. George model but council members recommended extending that period to either 120 days or as long as six months to promote stability. The draft also requires a 60‑day notice from a town manager who resigns, with a mutual‑agreement exception allowing a shorter notice.
Councilors discussed succession and acting‑manager authority in the draft: if the town manager is unable to act, the mayor would serve as acting manager, followed by the mayor pro tem and then the most senior council member. Councilors also asked staff to clarify how the town manager would relate to contracted (independent contract) services and to list the town manager’s responsibilities for overseeing contracts and contractors.
Council staff said they combined provisions from ordinances in St. George, Toquerville and other jurisdictions into the draft and added an organizational chart to the consent agenda for review. Several council members requested more specific hiring criteria and a job description for the position; the drafter said she will circulate the revised draft to Keith (staff/counsel) for comment. No formal vote on the ordinance was taken at the work session; the mayor or council will consider final action at an upcoming regular meeting if the item is placed on that agenda.
The council asked staff to prepare a special meeting or a focused session to develop hiring procedures and a job description if needed. Councilors emphasized that the ICMA Code of Ethics language should appear prominently in the powers and duties section. Next procedural steps spelled out in the work session were: revise the draft, circulate it to Keith for legal review, and include the item on the consent or regular agenda for Tuesday’s meeting if ready.
