(a) No appointive, salaried or elected officer or employee of the city shall solicit any thing of value to the campaign funds of any candidate for any office, nor to the campaign or permanent fund of any candidate for local office; nor shall any person solicit contributions for any political office, cause, or party from any officers or employees during any time at which the officer or employee is performing paid services for the city. No appointive, salaried or elected officer or employee of the city shall coerce or dissuade or attempt to coerce, command, advise or dissuade a city officer or employee to or from giving, lending or contributing any thing of value for political purposes.

    (b) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent the exercise of the rights of appointive officers or employees as citizens to express their opinions and to cast their votes.

(Code 1964, § 22.210(4), (7))