Elected City Officials
The City of Erlanger's elected officials are the Mayor and twelve Council Members.
Mayor
Statutory requirements - KRS 83A.040(1) - states that a candidate for mayor must be at least 21 years old, be a qualified voter in the city, and be a resident of the city throughout the term of office.
The mayor must be elected at a regular election, KRS 83A.040 (1). The mayor takes office on January 1st following the election and serves a four year term.
The mayor must take an oath of office before they can begin their official duties. (KRS 62.010)
In a Mayor-Council form of government, such as Erlanger, the mayor is not a member of the legislative body, but is the executive body (KRS 83A.010; KRS 83A.130). He or she serves as chief executive and administrative officer of the city. This elected position oversees the city's daily activities. The Mayor may veto ordinances or break a tie. He or she presides over city meetings. The Mayor appoints all city employees, including police officers, except for city council staff. The mayor also appoints all nonelected city officials, subject to the approval of city council. He or she disciplines and dismisses all city employees at will, except city council staff, subject to tenure or protection by statute or ordinance or contract.
Council Members
Council members are the legislative body of local government. Pursuant to KRS 83A.040, a member of the legislative body must be at least 18 years of age, be a qualified voter in the city (however, the statute does not address whether the person must be registered voter), and be a resident of the city throughout the term of office.
City legislators must be elected at a regular election. They serve a two year term that begins January 1st after the election.
City legislators are required per KRS 62.010 to take an oath of office on or before their term begins.
In a Mayor-Council form of government, City Council may only act as a whole body. Individual city council members may not make decisions or act on behalf of the body. The Council must have a quorum, or majority of all members, in order to act. (KRS 83A.060). A City Council is prohibited from performing any administrative or executive functions (KRS 83A.130), they do not have any authority over the day to day functions of a city government. According to KRS 83A.130, all legislative authority is in the hands of the city council, such as establishing ordinances, municipal orders, and resolutions.