Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 8509)
The official title is the Charter of the City of Sagay, known as Republic Act No. 8192.
It comprises the present territory of the Municipality of Sagay, Negros Occidental, with jurisdiction within the present metes and bounds of the Municipality of Sagay.
The City has continuous succession in its corporate name, can sue and be sued, use a corporate seal, acquire and convey property, enter into contracts, and exercise other powers granted to corporations subject to limitations of the Act and laws.
The main elected officials include the City Mayor, the City Vice Mayor, and the Sangguniang Panlungsod (city council) members.
The City Mayor must be at least 21 years old, an actual resident of Sagay for at least one year prior to election, and a qualified voter of Sagay.
The City Mayor is the chief executive with duties including formulating and implementing city policies and programs, appointing city officials, enforcing laws and ordinances, representing the city in contracts, initiating legislation, managing emergency measures, and submitting annual reports among others.
The Vice Mayor acts as the presiding officer of the Sangguniang Panlungsod, appoints council officials subject to law, assumes the City Mayor's office in case of vacancy, and performs other duties prescribed under the Local Government Code.
It is composed of the City Vice Mayor, regularly elected members, presidents of the Liga ng mga Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan federation, and sectoral representatives. It enacts ordinances, approves budgets, imposes taxes, and regulates matters within city jurisdiction for the general welfare.
The presiding officer can call a recess or the members present may adjourn; absent members without justifiable cause can be compelled to attend by arresting them with police assistance; if no quorum exists, the session is adjourned for lack of quorum.
The Mayor must return the ordinance with objections within 10 days; the Sangguniang Panlungsod may reconsider and override the veto by a two-thirds vote. If the Mayor does not act within 10 days, the ordinance is deemed approved.