Election, competencies and removal of the Mayor

The Mayor shall be the chief executive officer of the City, he/she shall establish the City Administration, manages its operation and shall be responsible for its work.

The Mayor shall represent the City.

(Article 57 of the Statute of the City of Bijeljina)

Election and end of term of the Mayor:

The Mayor shall be elected to a four-year term at direct elections by secret ballot, pursuant to the law.

Cessation of the term of the Mayor before the end of the term shall be conducted pursuant to election regulations.

(Article 58 of the Statute of the City of Bijeljina)

If the Mayor does not perform his/her duties pursuant to the law or does not implement the decisions of the City Assembly, 1/3 of the councillors can initiate a motion for his(her removal from office.

The removal procedure can be initiated by 10% of the voters registered in the list of voters of the City.

The City Assembly is obliged to include any initiative for removal of the Mayor into the agenda and to make an appropriate decision within 30 days from the reception of the initiative.

(Article 59 of the Statute of the City of Bijeljina)

If the City Assembly shall decide to initiate a procedure to remove the Mayor, a removal procedure shall be conducted, and the citizens shall decide directly by secret ballot voting, pursuant to election regulations.

The Mayor shall be removed from office if more than half of those who voted vote for his/her removal, after which the competent authority shall establish that the Mayor’s term has ended by removal, pursuant to the law.

(Article 60 of the Statute of the City of Bijeljina)

In case of removal, resignation or permanent impediment of the Mayor to perform his/her duties, election for a mayor shall be held, pursuant to the law.

(Article 61 of the Statute of the City of Bijeljina)

Competencies:

The Mayor has the following competencies:

Proposing the Statute of the City;
Proposing decisions and other acts adopted by the City Assembly;
Preparation of draft budget and submits annual budget, annual balance sheet, economic plan, development plan, investment plan, spatial plan and other plans and regulatory documents related to the use nd management of space and land, including the use of City assets in general use, to the City Assembly for adoption, pursuant to the law;
Proposing adoption of long term development plans/strategies, spatial plans, plans for their implementation, and other planning documents to the City Assembly;
Execution of laws and other regulations of the Republic of Srpska which are under the competence of the City;
Conduction of local policies in accordance with the decisions of the City Assembly, and execution of decisions and other acts of the City Assembly;
Deciding on disposal of funds from the City budget in accordance with the decision on execution of the budget and is responsible to the City Assembly for lawfull and earmarked spending of budget funds;
Informing the City Assembly on all issues from the competencies, rights, and obligations of the City;
Deciding on establishment of City Administration;
Adopting the Rulebook on organisation and classification of jobs in the City Administration;
In protection and rescue of the citizens and property from natural and other disasters, performing jobs prescribed by law and the Statute of the City, and especially:
- adoption of a plan for protection and rescue from natural and other disasters, and providing for its implementation,
- ordering measures to mitigate and remove consequences of natural and other disasters,
- managing the civil protection system in the field of protection and rescue in the City,
- appointing an emergency response team and establishing civil protection units,
- adoption of annual training plan for the emergency response team, civil protection units, and commissioner for protection and rescue,
- ordering to act in accordance with the preparedness plan,
- declaring emergency situations and state of natural and other disasters,
- ordering mobilization, alerting, and evacuation, and provides resources necessary for emergency acommodation in case of natural and other disasters,

Taking operational and other measures in case of disturbances or interruptions in provision of utility services;
Adoption of individual acts for which he/she is authorised by the law, the Statute, and other general acts;
Managing cooperation of the City with other municipalities, cities, international, and other organisations, in accordance with the decisions and conclusions of the City Assembly;
Giving consents to statutes and other general acts of companies and public institutions founded by the City;
Adoption of annual operational plan of the Mayor and the City Administration;
Submission of reports to the City Assembly concerning his/her work, the work of the City Administration, and work in the bodies of companies providing utility services;
Launching an inititive to stop the execution of a regulation, general or individual act adopted by the City Assembly until a decision is made by the competent court, if he/she thinks it is contrary to the Constitution or law;
Signing contracts on behalf of the City, in accordance with the acts of the City Assembly;
Deciding on conflict of jurisdiction between the organisational units of the Administrative service of the City, or organisations performing tasks of interest for the City;
Making second instance decisions on appeals submitted to the first instance decisions of the Administrative service of the City;
Approval of the use of the name of the City and settlements in business names of enterprises, institutions and other organisations; and
Performance of other jobs prescribed by law and this Statute.

The Mayor shall be responsible for the lawfulness of the acts proposed to the City Assembly.

(Article 62 of the Statute of the City of Bijeljina)

Deputy Mayor

The Mayor shall have a deputy who shall help him/her in performing his/her duties.

Deputy Mayor shall perform duties entrusted to him/her by the Mayor, substitute the Mayor and act on his/her behalf when the Mayor is absent or prevented from performing his/her duties.

Deputy Mayor is appointed by the City Assembly, on a proposal by the Mayor, by secret ballot by majority vote of the total number of councillors, pursuant to the law, the Statute of the City and the Rules of Procedure of the City Assembly.

If the term of the Mayor is ended before expiration of the period he was elected for, the Deputy Mayor shall perform the Mayor’s duties until a new mayor is elected.

If the Deputy Mayor, in case mentioned in the previous paragraph, is prevented from performing duties of the Mayor, or the City does not have a deputy mayor, the City Assembly shall appoint an acting deputy mayor until a new mayor is elected, in accordance with the Statute and the Rules of Procedure of the City Assembly.

In case mentioned in the previous paragraph, the City Assembly shall appoint a deputy mayor at a proposal of 1/3 of councillors or competent working body of the Assembly, in a procedure prescribed for the appointment of a deputy mayor.

(Article 62 of the Statute of the City of Bijeljina)

Deputy Mayor can be removed from office before the end of term if he/she is validly convicted for a crime, for immoral and inappropriate conduct, for major omissions in his/her work, or abuse of the function he/she performs, if he/she fails to perform duties entrusted by the Mayor, and in other cases prescribed by law.

Proposal for removal from office of deputy mayor shall be submitted by the Mayor to the City Assembly in written, with an explanation.

The City Assembly shall decide on the removal of the deputy mayor, in a procedure prescribed for the removal, in accordance with the Statute of the City and Rules of Procedure of the City Assembly.

The City Assembly shall decide on the removal of deputy mayor, except in case mentioned in the previous paragraph, in a manner prescribed by the Rules of Procedure of the City Assembly.

The procedure of appointing a new deputy mayor shall be completed within 60 days of the day the decision on removal becomes valid, or the removal from office of the deputy mayor.

(Article 64 of the Statute of the City of Bijeljina)