SECTION 5.07. OVER-EXPENDITURES.

No officer, department or agency of the City shall expend or contract to expend any money or incur any liability, or enter into any contract which by its terms involves the expenditure of money on behalf of the City for any purpose in excess of the amounts appropriated for such expenditures and obligations. The officer or employee who knowingly attempts or purports to create such an obligation shall be guilty of malfeasance in office and upon conviction thereof shall be removed from office. However, nothing in this section shall prevent the making of contracts not to be fully performed within the fiscal year when specifically authorized by Council.

SECTION 5.08. PERSONAL INTEREST.

The Ohio ethics laws and other state statutes as to conflicts of interest shall be the minimum standards applying to all contracts with the City and all sales to the City of any materials, supplies, equipment, land or any interest in land.

SECTION 5.09. ILLEGAL CONTRACTS VOIDABLE.

Whenever any contract is found to be illegal, for the reasons stated in Sections 5.07 or 5.08 and the City has received the goods or property involved, Council may, by resolution, elect to rescind the contract, and return the goods or property or retain them, paying for them not at the contract price, but at their fair value, provided such value is not in excess of the contract price. If payment has already been made, the City shall be entitled to recover the excess, if any, over the fair value.

SECTION 5.10. QUALIFICATIONS OF DIRECTOR OF LAW.

The director of the Department of Law shall be known as the City Attorney. He shall be an attorney-at-law, admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Ohio, and in good professional standing. He shall perform such duties as may be assigned to the office of city solicitor by law, as well as those imposed by the administrative code.

SECTION 5.11. DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE.

The Department of Finance shall perform those functions customarily performed by the auditor and the treasurer under State law. The Director of Finance shall be the fiscal officer of the City and shall be responsible for accounting, collection and custody of public funds, and control over disbursements. He shall countersign all bonds and notes issued by the City and shall perform such other functions as may be assigned by ordinance or by order of the City Manager.

SECTION 5.12. DEPARTMENT OF SAFETY.

The Department of Safety shall have and perform such functions as may be assigned by ordinance or by order of the City Manager. Notwithstanding any provisions of State law, the Council may establish a unified police and fire service in which both types of service are rendered by the same personnel.