§ 7-2. Administrative departments.

There shall be such administrative departments established by this charter and as may be established by ordinance, all of which shall be under the control and direction of the city manager unless otherwise stated in this charter. The council may abolish or combine one or more departments created by it, and may assign or transfer duties of any departments of the city from one department to another by ordinance.

At the head of each department, there shall be a director who shall be appointed, and who may be removed, by the city manager. Such directors shall have supervision and control over their respective departments, and may serve as chiefs of divisions within their respective departments. Two or more departments may be headed by the same individual, and the city manager may head one or more departments.

The work of each department shall be distributed among such divisions as may be established by ordinance. Pending passage of ordinances establishing department divisions, the city manager may establish temporary divisions in any department.

There shall be a department of law, the head of which shall be the city attorney. The city attorney shall be appointed by the city council and shall be an attorney licensed to practice law in the State of Texas. The city attorney shall be the legal adviser of, and attorney for the offices and departments of the city, and he shall represent the city in litigation and legal proceedings. He shall draft, approve, or file his written legal objections to, every ordinance adopted by the council, and he shall pass upon all documents, contracts, and legal instruments in which the city may have an interest. The city attorney shall receive for his services such compensation as may be fixed by the city council and shall hold his office at the pleasure of the city council.