Corporate Powers of the City
- The City of Koronadal is a political and corporate entity with perpetual succession.
- Powers include suing and being sued; using a corporate seal; acquiring property; making contracts; and other powers granted by law.
General Powers and Responsibilities
- The city may levy taxes, regulate public spaces, acquire, hold, and dispose of properties, and enter contracts.
- Has authority to appropriate or condemn private property for public use.
- May prosecute or defend legal actions involving the city.
Liability and Jurisdiction
- The city and its officials are liable for death, injury, or property damage.
- Police jurisdiction extends to the city’s territory and water supply watershed areas.
- Courts within the city share concurrent jurisdiction with adjoining municipalities' courts for crimes within these zones.
Composition of City Officials
- City officials include mayor, vice mayor, sangguniang panlungsod members, and various department heads (treasurer, assessor, engineer, etc.).
- Mayor may appoint additional officers like architect, information officer, and population officer.
- City fire, jail, school, and prosecution services are established with designated heads.
- Appointment powers lie with the mayor with sangguniang panlungsod concurrence.
City Mayor: Qualifications, Powers, and Duties
- Elected at large for a 3-year term; must be a resident for at least 1 year and at least 21 years old.
- Chief executive responsible for enforcing laws, implementing programs, issuing executive orders, and directing city policies.
- Duties include presenting annual programs, appointing officials, signing contracts, disaster response, budget preparation, and ensuring service delivery.
- Has veto power over ordinances but can be overridden by the sangguniang panlungsod.
City Vice Mayor: Role and Functions
- Elected alongside mayor with similar qualifications.
- Presides over the legislative body and signs financial warrants for it.
- Powers include appointing officials (except those appointed by mayor), assuming mayoral duties in vacancy, and other prescribed functions.
Legislative Body (Sangguniang Panlungsod)
- Composed of the vice mayor, 10 regular members, presidents of barangay and youth federations, and sectoral representatives.
- Tasks include passing ordinances, maintaining peace and order, environmental protection, regulating businesses, adopting land use plans, and approving budgets.
- Can enact ordinances regulating taxes, fees, franchises, public welfare, and social services.
Legislative Process and Rules
- The sangguniang panlungsod adopts internal rules, organizes committees, sets session schedules.
- Ordinances are transmitted to the city mayor for approval or veto.
- Vetoes can be overridden by two-thirds vote of the sangguniang panlungsod.
- Ordinances are reviewed by the provincial board for legality.
- Barangay ordinances are reviewed by the sangguniang panlungsod for consistency.
Qualifications and Disqualifications for Elective Officials
- Must meet residency, age, and voter qualifications.
- Disqualifications include conviction for crimes involving moral turpitude, removal from office, dual citizenship, fugitive status, and insanity.
Succession and Vacancy Filling
- Vice mayor succeeds mayor in permanent vacancy; highest-ranking sangguniang members fill subsequent vacancies.
- Non-partisan vacancies are filled by mayor’s appointment with sangguniang recommendation.
- Temporary incapacity of the mayor is managed by vice mayor or highest-ranking sangguniang member.
Appointive Officials: Qualifications and Functions
- Officials include secretaries, treasurer, assessor, accountant, budget officer, planning coordinator, engineers, health officers, civil registrar, legal officer, social welfare officer, veterinarian, general services officer, environment officer, architect, information officer, cooperatives officer, population officer, and agriculturist.
- Qualifications include residency, age, civil service eligibility, relevant professional licenses or degrees, and experience.
- Duties cover administration of city offices; planning; budgeting; enforcement of laws; technical and legal support; health and social welfare services; environment and natural resource management; architectural, informational, agricultural, and cooperative development.
City Fire, Jail, School, and Prosecution Services
- Fire station with firefighting and rescue responsibilities headed by a city fire marshal.
- Secure and sanitary city jail headed by a trained city jail warden focused on prisoner welfare.
- City school division managed by a superintendent appointed according to national education standards.
- City prosecution service integrated within the Department of Justice handling criminal cases arising in the city.
Transitory and Final Provisions
- Existing municipal ordinances remain effective until replaced by city laws.
- The city’s corporate existence commences upon ratification by qualified voters through a plebiscite.
- Current offices and officials continue until elections for city government officials occur; appointive employees are absorbed.
- City succeeds to all municipal assets, liabilities, and obligations.
- City voters participate in provincial elections and the city remains under provincial jurisdiction unless otherwise provided by law.
- Tax rates shall not be increased for five years after cityhood.
- The city remains part of the existing congressional district until altered by law.
- Local Government Code and other applicable laws govern the city unless inconsistent with the city charter.
- Provisions on invalidity, boundary disputes, repeal of inconsistent laws, and effectivity are provided.