Sec. 51A.103. - Appointment, qualifications, and tenure of commissioners; hiring of employees.

(a) Within 60 days of the effective date of this ordinance, the Mayor, subject to confirmation of the Council, shall appoint seven persons as commissioners of the Authority. Three of the commissioners who are first appointed shall be designated to serve for terms of one, two, and three years respectively; the remaining commissioners shall be designated to serve for terms of four years each, from the date of their appointment. Thereafter, each commissioner shall be appointed as aforesaid for a term of office of four years, except that a vacancy shall be filled for the unexpired term by an appointment by the Mayor with the approval of the Council within 60 days after such vacancy occurs. At least one commissioner shall be a resident who is current in rent in a housing project or a person of low or very low income who resides within the Housing Authority's jurisdiction and is receiving rent subsidy through a program administered by the Authority or public housing agency that has jurisdiction for the same locality served by the Housing Authority, which commissioner shall be appointed at the time a vacancy exists. The cessation of a tenant-commissioner's tenancy in a housing project or the cessation of rent subsidy shall remove such tenant-commissioner from office, and another person meeting the qualifications required for the office shall be appointed for the unexpired portion of the term. After all reasonable efforts have been made and documented, if the commissioners find that no housing project resident or rent subsidy recipient is available to serve as a tenant-commissioner, the existing vacancy shall then be filled through the normal appointment procedures set forth in this subsection. However, such normal appointment shall not preclude the requirement to exercise diligence in all succeeding vacancies to attempt to first appoint a tenant-commissioner until at least one tenant-commissioner has been appointed. No commissioner of the Authority may be an officer or employee of the City. A commissioner shall hold office until his successor has been appointed and has qualified. A commissioner shall receive no compensation for his services, but he shall be entitled to the necessary expenses, including travel expenses, incurred in the discharge of his duties. The requirements of this subsection with respect to the number of commissioners of the Authority apply without regard to the date on which the Authority is created. (b) The powers of the Authority shall be vested in the commissioners thereof in office from time to time. A majority of the commissioners shall constitute a quorum of the Authority for the purpose of conducting its business and exercising its powers and for all other purposes. Action may be taken by the Authority upon a vote of a majority of the commissioners present, unless in any case the bylaws of the Authority require a larger number. The Mayor shall designate which of the commissioners appointed shall be the first chairman, who shall serve for a period of one year and thereafter the Authority shall select from among its commissioners a chairman each year to serve on an annual basis or, in the event a vacancy occurs in the office of chairman, to fill such vacancy for the remainder of the unexpired term. The Authority shall select from among its commissioners a vice-chairman; and it may employ a secretary, who shall be the executive director, technical experts, and such other officers, agents, and employees, permanent and temporary, as it may require and shall determine their qualifications, duties, and compensation. For such legal services as it may require, the Authority shall call upon the General Counsel of the City of Jacksonville. The Authority may delegate to one or more of its agents or employees such powers or duties as it may deem proper. (Ord. 93-2016-1393, § 2; Ord. 2016-731-E , § 1)