Title 14 — Local Government

The form of municipal government authorized by this chapter shall be known as the city administrator form of municipal government.

(a) When petitions are filed with the county clerk containing the signatures of qualified electors of a municipality equal in number to fifteen percent (15%) of the aggregate number of votes cast at the preceding general municipal election for all candidates for mayor in cases in…

(a) When the question of the adoption of the city administrator form of government is submitted to, and approved by, a majority of the qualified electors of a municipality voting on the issue, the question of changing to another form of government shall not again be submitted to …

(a) (1) When, in connection with the reorganization of a municipality under this chapter, an initial board of directors shall be elected, the reorganization shall be deemed to be effective as of the time when the respective terms of office of the directors commence.(2) Concurrent…

(a) (1) Following the adoption of the city administrator form of government in any city and prior to the special municipal election for the initial membership of the board of directors and the mayor, the governing body of the city, by ordinance, shall divide the city into four (4…

(a) (1) Within ten (10) days after the designation of the four (4) wards, the Secretary of State by proclamation in accordance with § 7-11-101 et seq. shall call special primary and general elections to be held in the municipality for the purpose of electing seven (7) directors a…

(a) Candidates for the office of director and mayor shall be nominated and elected as follows:(1) (A) (i) A special election for the election of the initial membership of the board of directors and mayor shall be called by the Secretary of State as provided in § 14-48-108.(ii) Th…

(a) (1) The seven (7) directors elected by a city reorganized under this chapter shall be known and designated as the board of directors of the city.(2) The board of directors of the city shall constitute the legislative and executive body of the city, subject to the powers of th…

(a) (1) The mayor of a city having the city administrator form of government shall be recognized as the head of the city government for all ceremonial purposes and by the Governor for the purposes of military law.(2) He or she shall sign on behalf of the city all written agreemen…

(a) (1) The board of directors shall elect from its membership an assistant mayor or vice mayor who shall serve in that capacity for two (2) years or until his or her tenure of office as a director expires, whichever is shorter.(2) The assistant mayor or vice mayor shall not be p…

If both the mayor and assistant mayor should be absent or disabled from performing their duties, the board of directors may designate by resolution one (1) of its members as acting mayor to serve during the absence or disability, and no longer.

(a) Any person holding the office of mayor and any person holding the office of member of the board of directors of any city organized under the provisions of this chapter shall be subject to removal from the office by the electors qualified to vote for a successor of the incumbe…

In the case of a vacancy in the office of mayor or in the office of a member of the board of directors, the board, at the first regular meeting after the occurrence of the vacancy, shall fill the vacancy under § 14-42-103.

(a) The initial board of directors shall employ a city administrator as promptly as possible after effecting the board's organization. A city administrator's employment shall be for an indefinite term. Thereafter, subject only to such interruptions as are unavoidable, a city admi…

(1) The city administrator shall have the following powers and duties:(1) To the extent that such authority is vested in him or her through ordinance enacted by the board of directors, he or she may supervise and control all administrative departments, agencies, offices, and empl…

(a) (1) If the city administrator is absent from the city or is unable to perform his or her duties, if the board of directors suspends the city administrator, or if there is a vacancy in the office of the city administrator, the board may appoint by resolution an acting city adm…

A.C.A. § 14-48-119Current through all legislation of the 2025 Regular Session.Arkansas Code of 1987 Annotated Official EditionCopyright © 2026 by the State of Arkansas All rights reserved

(a) (1) A majority of the elected membership of the board of directors shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.(2) Except where otherwise provided by law, an affirmative vote of four (4) or more members shall represent the action of the board, and a like vote sh…

(a) The initiative and referendum laws of this state are applicable to cities reorganized under this chapter. (b) The number of signatures required upon any petition shall be computed upon the total vote cast for mayor at the preceding general election for mayor.

(a) The approval of the budget by the board of directors shall amount to an appropriation, for the purposes of the budget, of the funds which are lawfully applicable to the different items therein contained. (b) The board may alter or revise the budget from time to time, and unpl…

The board of directors shall have the financial affairs of the city audited annually by the Division of Legislative Audit of the State of Arkansas or by an independent certified public accountant who is not otherwise in the service of the city.

(a) (1) The board of directors may from time to time by ordinance create, reorganize, or abolish, except as provided in § 14-48-106, any municipal departments, offices, employments, boards, authorities, commissions, and agencies and fix the term of employment and compensation of …

Subject to the exceptions contained in § 14-48-102, every person appointed by the board of directors to any municipal office, employment, position, or to membership on any board, authority, or commission shall serve for such time and shall receive such compensation as the board m…

(a) In the exercise by the board of directors of its authority in respect to the filling of vacancies on municipal boards, authorities, and commissions, only those qualified electors of the city found by the board to possess the necessary qualifications shall be appointed or conf…

All officers and employees of a city reorganized under this chapter, excepting the city administrator whose bond requirement is controlled by § 14-48-116, may be required to make bond in such amount, in such form, and with such security as may meet the approval of the board of di…

(a) (1) No member of the board of directors nor any officer or employee appointed in any city shall have an interest in any contract or job for work or materials, or the profits thereof, or service to be furnished or performed for the city.(2) No officer or employee shall have an…

(a) Before making any purchase of, or contract for, any supplies, materials, or equipment, and before obligating the city under any contract for the performance of services or for the construction of municipal improvements where the anticipated cost to the city of the transaction…

Every ordinance or resolution granting any public utility franchise or granting the right to occupy the streets, highways, bridges, or other public places in the city for any purpose shall be completed in the form in which it is finally passed. It shall remain on file with the ci…

(a) (1) The board of directors elected under the provisions of this chapter shall constitute the respective boards of improvement for any and all improvement districts existing or created in any city operating under the provisions of this chapter and shall discharge and perform a…

As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires, “board”, “commission”, or “commissioners” means the board of civil service commissioners, as provided for in § 14-49-201 et seq.

Every city in this state shall be entitled to operate under this chapter whenever any federal census taken shows that the city has attained a population of seventy-five thousand (75,000) or over.

Any person violating any part of this chapter, upon conviction, shall be punished as for a misdemeanor.

(a) The city council or governing body in cities which, according to the last federal census taken, have a population of seventy-five thousand (75,000) or over shall name by ordinance three (3) citizens of its respective cities as a board of civil service commissioners. (b) The c…

(a) No person on the commission shall hold or be a candidate for any office or public trust under any national, state, county, or municipal government or school district or be connected in any way in any official capacity with any political party or organization. (b) No person as…

(a) The commissioners named as provided in this chapter shall meet and organize. (b) The commissioner who shall be elected for a term of two (2) years shall act as chair.

(a) (1) The chair of the commission for each biennial period shall be the member whose term first expires.(2) The member of the commission whose term shall next expire shall serve as chair during the last two (2) years of his or her term. (1) The chair of the commission for each …

(a) The board shall elect one (1) of its members as secretary. (b) The secretary shall:(1) Keep the books and records of the board;(2) Conduct the correspondence of the board;(3) Report the evidence at all trials;(4) Act as clerk when the board shall constitute a trial court; and…

The city attorney shall act as attorney for the commission provided for in this chapter in all trials and other legal transactions of the commission.

(1) The city council or other governing body, as the case may be, shall:(1) Provide suitable rooms for the board to hold meetings; (2) Allow all reasonable supplies; and(3) Permit use of public buildings for holding examinations by the board. (1) Provide suitable rooms for the bo…

Two (2) of the commission members shall constitute a quorum to transact business.

(a) In any investigation conducted by the commission provided for in this chapter, the commission shall have the power of subpoena, to require the attendance of any witness and the production of any papers or records pertinent to the investigation, and the power to administer oat…

The salary of the commissioners shall be paid by the city and shall be fixed by the city council or other governing body of the city.

(a) The city council or the governing body, by two-thirds vote may remove any of the commissioners during his or her term of office for cause. (b) The vacancy thereby created shall be filled as provided in this chapter.

(a) When a vacancy shall occur on the board by death, resignation, expiration of the term of office, or in any other manner, the vacancy shall be filled by the other members of the commission within thirty (30) days from the time the vacancy shall have occurred. (b) Vacancies occ…

(a) This chapter shall not apply to any officer, servant, employee, or attorney of the city who is elected by vote of the people of his or her respective cities. (b) (1) This chapter shall not apply to the following employees of the city:(A) Secretary to the mayor;(B) Assistant s…

The mayor of the city shall have authority to employ and discharge common laborers for work that is temporary. He or she shall have the authority to employ accountants and auditors for the purpose of auditing the city's books, or the books of the departments thereof, and special …

In addition to the city employees originally affected by and brought within the provisions of this chapter providing for the establishment of a civil service system in certain cities, the employees of the city clerk's office in these cities from the passage of this act shall be a…

(a) (1) The board provided for in this chapter shall prescribe, amend, and enforce rules and regulations governing the employees, except those excepted in this chapter, of their respective cities.(2) The rules and regulations shall have the force and effect of law.(3) The board s…

All employees affected by this chapter shall be governed by rules and regulations set out by the heads of their respective departments after rules and regulations have been adopted by the governing bodies of their respective municipalities.

(a) No employee in any department affected by this chapter shall engage in the solicitation of any subscription funds or assessments or contribute thereto for any political party or purpose. (b) An employee shall not be connected with any political campaign or political managemen…