Repeal of Paragraph in Section Nine
- The second paragraph of Section nine of Commonwealth Act No. 326 is repealed.
Compensation of Vice-Mayor and City Council Members
- Vice-mayor's annual salary is fixed at six thousand six hundred pesos.
- Each member of the city council receives a salary of four thousand eight hundred pesos per annum.
Appointment and Compensation of the Secretary of the Council
- The city council shall elect a secretary to serve during the term of council members.
- Vacancies in the secretary position are filled similarly.
- The secretary's compensation shall not be less than four thousand two hundred pesos annually and is fixed by the council.
Powers to Regulate and Fix License Fees (Section 17, Subsections l and m Amended)
- Authority to regulate and fix license fees for various vocations and establishments including hawkers, barbers, embalmers, public vehicles, pawnshops, and more.
- Additional regulation and taxation over theaters, performances, sugar centrals, rice mills, dealers in new automobiles, and classified retail dealers.
- Power to tax, fix license fees, regulate businesses, and fix locations for factories, blacksmith shops, lumber yards, shipyards, and establishments handling combustible or explosive materials.
- Regulation over establishments like tanneries, funeral parlors, soap factories, subject to health regulations.
Establishment and Composition of City Court
- There shall be a City Court with two judges appointed.
Jurisdiction and Powers of the City Court
- The City Court shall have two judges and two auxiliary judges.
- Judges have powers and jurisdiction similar to municipal judges but with territorial jurisdiction over the city's police zone.
- All fines, forfeitures, and fees collected benefit the city treasury.
- The City Court possesses concurrent territorial jurisdiction with the Court of First Instance and municipal courts within its police zone.
- Jurisdiction over offenses is exclusive to the first court assuming jurisdiction.
Appointment and Role of the Clerk of the City Court
- The City Court shall have a clerk appointed by the City judge under Civil Service rules.
- Clerk's compensation shall not exceed three thousand pesos per annum.
- Responsibilities include keeping the court seal, affixing it on official documents, maintaining dockets of trials, and administering oaths.
- The clerk also acts as the city sheriff, with powers and duties like those of provincial sheriffs.
- The city council may provide additional clerks as needed.
Structure and Duties of the City Attorney and Assistants
- The law department comprises the city attorney and seven assistants under the Secretary of Justice's supervision.
- The city attorney is chief legal adviser, represents the city in civil cases, attends council meetings, drafts legal documents, and gives written opinions when requested.
- Responsibilities include investigating misconduct by city officers/employees or franchise holders, prosecuting breaches of contracts, and handling all civil actions involving the city.
- The city attorney also prosecutes crimes, misdemeanors, and ordinance violations in the City Court and Court of First Instance.
Repeal of Section Twenty-Three
- Section twenty-three of the Charter is repealed.
Salary Provisions for City Officials and Employees
- Specified salaries include:
- City judge, city health officer, city attorney, city engineer, city treasurer: 7,200 pesos per annum.
- City auditor, city assessor, chief of police: 6,600 pesos per annum.
- Secretary to the mayor: 4,200 pesos per annum.
- Assistant city attorneys' salaries range from 6,600 to 3,000 pesos per annum based on rank.
- City council fixes salaries by ordinance subject to approval by the respective National Government head.
- If appropriation fails, previous year's salaries shall continue without further appropriation.
Retention of City Attorney and City Engineer Positions
- Notwithstanding other Commonwealth Acts, Bacolod shall maintain its own city attorney and city engineer as provided in its Charter.
Effectivity Clause
- The amendments take effect upon approval of the Act on June 19, 1964.