City Seal and Legal Capacity
- The city shall have a common seal subject to alteration.
- It may hold, lease, purchase, sell, and condemn property for public interest.
- It can contract, sue, be sued, and exercise powers granted by the Charter.
Liability of the City
- The city is exempt from liability for damages or injuries due to failure or negligence of city officials in enforcing laws or ordinances.
Jurisdiction for Police and Water Supply Protection
- Police jurisdiction aligns with city territorial boundaries.
- Extends to drainage areas and within 100 meters radius of water supply infrastructure.
The Office of the Mayor
- The Mayor is the chief executive appointed by the President with Commission on Appointments consent.
- Salary up to ₱4,000 per year, plus a non-commutable allowance with Interior Secretary's approval.
- Acting Mayor roles assigned to City Treasurer or City Engineer temporarily; Presidential appointment fills vacancies.
- Mayor controls executive functions under Interior Secretary’s supervision.
- Powers include law enforcement, safeguarding city property, revenue collection, instituting proceedings, supervising officers and employees, auditing, representing the city, budget submission, licensing, relief efforts, emergency measures, and annual reporting.
- May appoint a secretary to maintain records, attest official documents, and provide certified copies for a fee.
The Municipal Board
- Legislative body composed of the Mayor, City Treasurer, City Engineer, and five popularly elected councilors.
- Temporary substitutes can be appointed by the President.
- Members must meet qualifications: local residency, age, and electorate status.
- Salaries and attendance compensation detailed.
- The Board has a secretary responsible for record-keeping, publication, and official documentation.
- Meetings are weekly with quorum rules; ordinances require a five-vote approval.
- Ordinances undergo publication and mayoral approval with veto powers and override procedures, including veto of specific ordinance items.
- The Secretary of the Interior may disapprove ordinances exceeding the Board’s authority.
Powers and Duties of the Municipal Board
- Tax levies including property taxes not exceeding 2% ad valorem.
- Appropriations, salary settings, and distribution of medicines and relief to indigents.
- Fixing service tariffs, maintenance or rental of city buildings.
- Establishment and regulation of educational institutions and fees, subject to educational authorities’ approval.
- Establish and maintain police and fire forces, fire safety regulations, nuisance abatement.
- Licensing and regulating varied businesses, amusement establishments, market operations, and animals.
- Oversight of utilities such as waterworks.
- Authority to enact ordinances for public health, safety, morality, and welfare with penalties up to ₱200 fine or six months imprisonment.
- Restrictions on commercial signs; Mayor may order removal of offensive signs.
City Departments and Appointments
- Departments: Finance, Engineering, Law, Police, Fire.
- Mayoral supervisory control; Municipal Board may reorganize departments with Presidential approval.
- Heads of departments have certification and operational responsibilities.
- Appointment of key officials by the President; other employees appointed by Mayor under Civil Service Law.
- Prohibition on city officials engaging in conflicting business transactions with the city.
Finance Department: City Treasurer
- Custodian of city funds and fiscal officer.
- Duties: Collecting taxes, licenses, rents, supervising municipal funds, disbursing authorized expenditures.
- Salary capped at ₱3,600 per annum.
Engineering Department
- Headed by City Engineer with salary capped at ₱3,000.
- Manages all surveying, public works, property maintenance, public utilities, inspections, and enforcement of construction regulations.
- Contracts for public works exceeding ₱3,000 require public bidding unless authorized otherwise.
Law Department
- City Attorney is chief legal adviser; salary capped at ₱3,000.
- Represents city in civil suits, prosecutes contract breaches, drafts documents, provides legal opinions.
- Investigates violations of franchise conditions, criminal charges, causes of suspicious deaths including autopsies.
Police Department
- Chief of Police salary capped at ₱2,400.
- Responsible for maintaining peace, executing law enforcement, managing city prison, serving judicial processes.
- Chief of Secret Service oversees detective work with salary capped at ₱1,800.
- Police officers have broad enforcement powers and may appoint special police in emergencies.
Fire Department
- Chief’s salary capped at ₱1,800.
- Manages fire fighting apparatus, enforces regulations, investigates fires, supervises hazardous materials, and electrical installations.
Assessment Department
- City Assessor salary capped at ₱2,400.
- Responsible for real estate valuations, tax listing, and administration.
- Real estate owned by government entities or used exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, or educational purposes is tax-exempt.
- Procedures established for declarations of acquired or improved property, lists publication, and appeals.
Taxation Regime for Real Estate
- Annual property tax not exceeding 2% ad valorem.
- Taxes due June 1; penalties accrue at 2% per month capped at 24%.
- Payment options include two installments.
- Provisions for extensions and remission under certain circumstances.
- Enforcement includes personal property seizure with defined exemptions.
- Procedures for sale, redemption, forfeiture, and transfer of property titles to the city detailed.
- Legal procedures for contesting taxes and sales specified.
Special Assessments for Public Improvements
- Municipal Board may levy special assessments up to 60% of costs for public works benefiting specified districts.
- Procedures include ordinance publication, protests by affected landowners, hearings, appeals, and assessment adjustments.
- Collections enforced similar to regular taxes; revenues dedicated exclusively to designated improvements.
City Budget
- City Treasurer prepares annual financial statement and revenue estimates.
- Mayor formulates budget submitted to Municipal Board at least 2.5 months before fiscal year start.
- Supplemental budgets allowed for unforeseen needs.
- Appropriations continue under previous year’s ordinance if no new one is enacted.
Municipal Court
- Consists of a municipal judge, auxiliary judge, and possibly a temporary justice of the peace.
- Judge’s salary capped at ₱3,600.
- Clerk appointed by Mayor; serves as sheriff with salary capped at ₱1,200.
- Court has civil and criminal jurisdiction including certain specified offenses and preliminary investigations.
- Powers include issuing writs, compelling witness attendance, punishing contempt, and bond impositions.
- Prosecution process governed by summons or warrant; costs and fines collected and accounted for.
- Appeal procedures to Court of First Instance detailed.
Additional Municipal Bureaus
- Auditor General audits city accounts.
- Purchasing agent manages supplies and acquisition excluding real estate.
- Bureau of Education administered by Director of Education and Division Superintendent; supported by a local school board without salary.
- Regular reports on schools and infrastructure submitted to the Mayor.
- City Health Officer with salary capped at ₱3,000 oversees public health, enforces health laws, prosecutes violations, maintains vital records, and coordinates sanitation inspections.
Government Transition and Representation
- City government formed upon appointment of Mayor and Board members.
- Appointed officials hold offices until next election.
- City voters entitled to vote in provincial elections.
- City remains in the third representative district of Batangas until further law.
Effectivity
- The Act becomes effective upon approval.