the assessment is made, and no
change in the status of property
after that day shall be considered
in determining its value. In de
termining such values, any stand
ards of appraisal established by
law or ordinance shall be followed.
The council shall equalize valua
tions of property assessed; pro
vided that the council by ordinance
may delegate this power to a board
created by ordinance, when not
prohibited by state law.
Same: Lien on Real Property
Section 5-11. The city shall have
a first lien on all real property
against which city taxes are asses
sed, for the taxes and any collec
tion charge, penalties and interest
which may accumulate thereto;
and the lien shall continue until
the taxes and any such charges,
penalties and interest are paid.
Same: Protection of Lien
On Real Property
Section 5-12. The city may pro
tect its lien for taxes on real prop
erty by sale at tax sale, or by pur
chasing the real property at any
tax sale or other public sale, or by
direct negotiation with the owner,
or in any other legal manner. Any
such procedure shall be deemed
to be for a public purpose. When
the city has acquired an interest
in real property to protect a tax
lien thereon, the owner of any in
terest in such real property may
redeem the same by paying the de
linquent city taxes and all accrued
charges, penalties and interest
thereon, as provided by law or or
dinance. After the city has held
any tax-delinquent real property
for two years, it may hold the same
for public use or sell it at public
auction to the highest bidder; pro
vided that, if the city sells such
property before it uses the prop
erty for public purposes, other pro
visions of this charter relating to
the sale of property shall not apply
to such sales.
Same: Protection of Lien on
Personal Property
Section 5-13. City taxes on per
sonal property shall be a debt to
the city from the persons to whom
they are assessed. If any person
to whom such taxes are assessed
fails or refuses to pay the taxes,
such taxes, and accrued charges,
penalties and interest may be col
lected by a personal action in the
name of the city against the per
son to whom assessed in a court of
competent jurisdiction, or by dis
traint and sale of any personal
property of the person assessed.
Neither of the remedies herein
given shall be exclusive of the
other or of any remedy provided
by law.
Disbursements: Authority—
Method
Section 5-14. Disbursements of
city funds shall be made only in
accordance with appropriations
made as provided in this charter,
or, in case of funds which are not
formally appropriated, then by
authority granted by the council
or by the qualified voters of the
city. The council shall prescribe
the method or methods of disburs
ing city funds.
Deposit and Investment
of Funds
Section 5-15. The council shall
regulate the deposit and invest
ment of city funds, and shall de
termine what funds of the city
may be invested. City funds may
be invested only in the following:
General-obligation bonds and other
general-obligation evidences of in
detedness of the United States, oi
the State of Alaska, of other states
of the United States, of this city,
of other cities of this state, and
of boroughs of this state; and such
other securities as may be author
ized by law.
Purchases and Sales
Section 5-16. The city manager,
subject to any regulations which
the council may prescribe, shall
contract for and purchase, or is
sue purchase authorizations for,
all supplies, materials, and equip
ment for the offices, departments
and agencies of the city govern
ment. Every such contract or pur
chase exceeding an amount to be
established by ordinance, shall re
quire the prior approval of the
council. The city manager also
may transfer to or between offi
ces, departments and agencies, or
sell, surplus or obsolete supplies,
materials and equipment, subject
to such regulations as the council
may prescribe.
Before the purchase of, or con
tract for, any supplies, materials
or equipment, ample opportunity
lor competitive bidding, under
such regulations, and with such
exceptions, as the council may pre
scribe, shall be given; but the
council shall not except a particu
lar contract, purchase or sale from
the requirement of competitive
bidding.
The council by ordinance may
transfer some or all of the power
granted to the city manager by
this section to an administrative
officer appointed by the city man
ager.
Contracts and Sales
Section 517. (a) Any contract
which by its terms will not be fully
executed within five years and
which cannot be terminated by the
city upon not more than one
month’s notice without penalty;
and (b) the sale or lease of any
city property, real or personal, or
the sale or other disposal of any
interest therein, the value of which
property, lease, or interest is more
than $30,000.00, shall be made
only:
(1) By authority of an ordinance
approved or enacted at an
election by an affirmative
vote of a majority of the
qualified voters of the city
who vote on the question of
approving or enacting the
ordinance (the ordinance be
ing submitted to the voters
by the council or by initi
ative of the voters); or—
ay aumorny oi a non-emer
gency ordinance passed by
the council, which shall be
published in full within ten
days after its passage, and
which shall include a sec
tion reading substantially
as follows: “Section_
If one or more referendum
petitions with signatures
are properly filed within one
month after the passage and
publications of this ordi
nance, this ordinance shall
not go into effect until the
petition or petitions are fin
ally found to be illegal and/
or insufficient, or, if any
such petition is found legal
and sufficient, until the or
dinance is approved at an
election by a majority of the
qualified voters voting on
the question. If no referen
dum petition with signatures
is filed, this ordinance shall
go into effect one month
after its passage and publi
cation.”
Provided than an entire pub
lic utility belonging to the
city may be sold or leased
only by authority of an or
dinance approved or enacted
as provided in subdivision
(1) above in this section.
Public Improvements
Section 5-18. Public improve
ments, including local improve
ments, may be made by the city
government itself or by contract.
The council shall award all con
tracts for such improvements; pro
vided that the council may author
ize the city manager to award such
contracts not exceeding an amount
to be determined by the council
and subject to such regulations as
the council may prescribe. Every
contract for public improvements
of more than $10,000 shall be
awarded to the lowest and best re
sponsible bidder after such notice
and opportunity for competitive
bidding may be given.
Personal Interest
Section 5-19. Neither the mayor,
any councilman nor the city man
ager shall sell or barter anything
to the city or to a contractor sup
plying the city; or make any con
tract with the city; or purchase
anything from the city other than
those things which the city offers
generally to the public (as for ex
ample, utility services), and then
only on the same terms as are of
fered to the public; unless an in
vitation to submit sealed Dias
is published, and the city accepts
the sealed bid which is most ad
vantageous to the city; provided
that such sale, contract or purchase
of not more than $500 in value,
may be made without bids at prices
or rates prevailing in the commun
ity and without discrimination.
Any such officer violating this sec
tion, upon conviction thereof,
shall thereby forfeit his office. Any
violation of this section, with the
knowledge, express or implied,
of the person or corporation con
tracting with the city, shall render
the contract voidable by the city
manager or the council.
Claims for Injuries
Section 5.20. The city shall not
be liable in damages for injury to
persons or property by reason of
negligence of the city unless, with
in four months after such injury
occurs, the person damaged or his
representative causes a written no
tice to be served upon an officer
of the city upon whom process may
be served. Such notice shall state
that such person intends to hold
the city liable for such damages
and shall set forth substantially
the time and place of the injury,
the manner in which it occurred,
the nature of the act or defect com
plained of, the extent of the injury
so far as known, and the name and
address of witnesses known to the
claimant.
No person shall bring action
against the city for damages to
person or property arising out of
any of the reasons or circumstances
aforesaid unless such action is
brought within the period pre
scribed by law, nor unless he has
first presented to the city man
ager a claim in writing and under
oath, setting forth specifically the
nature and extent of the injury
and the amount of damages claim
ed. The city manager shall prompt
ly present such claim to the coun
cil for action.
Failure to give notice of injury
or to present a claim within the
time and in the manner provided,
shall bar any action upon such
claim.
This section shall not be deemed
to waive any defense of immunity
which the city may have from
claims for damages arising out of
negligence; but shall apply in all
cases where such defense is not
available to the city.
Independent Annual Audit
Section 5-21. The council shall
designate a certified public ac
countant or accountants who shall
make an independent audit of the
accounts and evidences of financial
transactions of the department of
finance and of all other depart
ments, offices and agencies keep
ing separate or subordinate ac
counts or making financial trans
actions, as of the end of every fis
cal year at least, and who shall re
port to the council and to the city
manager within four months. In
lieu of the above, the council may
arrange with an appropriate state
authority for such an audit when
and if permitted by law.
ARTICLE VI
BORROWING
General-Obligation
Bonds, etc.
Section 6-1. The city shall have
power to borrow money and to
issue its general-obligation bonds
or other such evidences of indebt
edness therefor, but only when
authorized by the council for capi
tal improvements and ratified at
an election by a majority of those
qualified to vote and voting on the
question. General-obligation evi
dences of indebtedness may also be
secured by revenues from a reve
nue-producing utility or enterprise
when they are issued for the ac
quisition, construction, reconstruc
tion, repair, improvement, ex
tension, enlargement and/or equip
ment of the said utility or enter
prise, and/or by other designated
funds or revenues specifically
pledged for payment of principal
and interest thereon. Capital im
provements as used hereinabove
may also include a part or all of the
city’s share of the cost of a public
improvement of which a part is to
be paid by benefitted property.
Construction warrants may be is
sued following bond issue approval,
and pending sale of bonds.
The restrictions of this section
do not apply to borrowing money
to meet appropriations for a par
ticular fiscal year, nor to indebted
ness to be paid from special as
sessments to be made on benefitted
property, nor to refunding indebt
edness.
Borrowing to Meet
Appropriations
Section 6-2. The city shall have
power to borrow money to meet
appropriations for any fiscal year
in anticipation of the collection of
revenues for that year, when au
thorized by the council, and with
out submitting the question to the
voters. The total of such indebted
ness shall never exceed 25 per
cent of anticipated revenues of
that year. All debts so contracted
shall be paid before the end of the
next fiscal year.
Revenue Bonds, etc.
Section 6-3. The city shall have
power to borrow money and to is
sue revenue bonds or other such
evidences of indebtedness there
for, the principal and interest of
which are payable solely out of,
and the only security of which is,
the revenues of a revenue-produc
ing utility or enterprise; but only
when authorized by the council
for the acquisition, construction,
reconstruction, repair, extension,
enlargement and/or equipment of
the said utility or enterprise, and
ratified at an election by a major
ity of those qualified to vote and
voting on the question. Construc
ion warrants may be issued fol
lowing the ratification of a bond
issue under this section and pend
ing sale of the bonds.
Use of Unexpended and
Unencumbered Balances
Section 6-4. Every bond or other
evidence of indebtedness shall
contain a statement of the purpose
for which it is issued, and the pro
ceeds thereof shall not be used for
any other purpose, except that,
whenever any proceeds of an s
sue remain unexpended and unen
cumbered for the purpose for
which issued, the council shall
authorize the use of such unex
pended and unencumbered funds
only for the following purposes,
which are listed in descending or
der of priority:
(1) For the retirement of such
issue;
(2) If such issue has been fully
retired, then for the retire
ment of other bonds or ob
ligations of the city;
(3) If there are no other bonds
or obligations of the city
outstanding, then for any
purpose determined by the
council.
Voiding Authorization of
Bonds, etc.
Section 6-5. The council, by
resolution or ordinance, may void
the authorization of any unsold
bonds or other evidences of in
debtedness at any time. If any
bonds or other evidences of indebt
edness are not sold within ten
years after authorization, such au
thorization shall be void as to the
bonds or evidences of indebtedness
which remain unsold. Nothing in
this section shall be deemed to
require the sale, at the time nor in
the same series, of all bonds or
other evidences of indebtedness
authorized.
Council to Have Power
To Regulate
Section6-6. The Council shallhave
power to regulate the indebtedness
of the city and the issuance of
bonds and other evidences of in
debtedness, regardless of type or
purpose, including general-obliga
tion, revenue, special assessment,
refunding and other, subject only
to the limitations imposed by the
state constitution an<j law and this
charter.
ARTICLE VII
LOCAL PUBLIC
IMPROVEMENTS
City May Make Public
Improvements—How Cost
May Be Paid
Section 7-1. The city shall have
the power to make public improve
ments, including local improve
ments, within the city and to the
extent authorized by law, ordi
nance or this charter outside the
city. The cost of a public improve
ment may be paid wholly by the
City, or partly by the City and
partly by benefitted property, or
wholly by benefitted property, as
the Council may determine. Said
cost or part thereof to be borne by
benefitted property may be asses
sed by special assessment upon the
benefitted property.
Local—Improvement
Procedure
Section 7-2. The council may be
gin procedure for local improve
ments either on its own initiative
or upon receipt of a petition. The
council shall prescribe by ordi
nance complete special-assess
ment procedure, including re-as
sessment procedure, for local im
provements and for agreements for
furnishing capital improvements
and the extension thereof in lieu
of assessment.
Special Assessment to Be in
Proportion to Benefit—
Apportioning
Section 7-3. Any special assess
ment for local improvements
against property benefitted there
by shall be in proportion to, and
shall not exceed, the value of the
benefit from the local improve
ment. The council shall establish
the method of apportioning and
assessing the cost of such improve
ments upon benefitted property.
Protests
Section 7-4. If protests as to the
necessity for any local improve
ment are made by the owners of
benefitted property which will
bear fifty percent or more of the
estimated cost of the improvement,
the improvement shall not proceed
until the protests have been re
duced so that the property of those
still protesting shall not bear fifty
percent of the said estimated cost
of the improvement, except upon
(Continued on page 16)
Norman's Photo
(Across from the
Orpheum Theatre)
Portraits By Appointment
Phone 486—5282