Dorchester County as it now exists constitutes a body corporate and politic. Under this Charter it shall have all the rights and powers of local self-government and home rule as are now or may hereafter be provided or necessarily implied by this Charter and the Constitution and laws of the State of Maryland.
The powers mentioned in the preceding section shall be exercised only by the County Council of Dorchester County and other officers, employees and agents of Dorchester County, acting under their respective authorities or under such other authorities as may be provided by this Charter or by law.
The corporate name shall be "Dorchester County, Maryland," and it shall be so designated in all actions and proceedings touching its rights, powers, properties, liabilities, and duties. Its boundaries and County seat shall be and remain as they are at the time this Charter takes effect, unless otherwise changed in accordance with law.
(a) 
The term "County" means Dorchester County, Maryland.
(b) 
The term "Dorchester County Government" means the officers, personnel, departments, agencies, offices, boards, commissions, and other entities that are subject collectively to the powers of local self-government and home rule as are now or may hereafter be provided or necessarily implied by this Charter, Article XI-A of the Maryland Constitution, and Article 25A of the Annotated Code of Maryland.
(c) 
The term "Government" means the Dorchester County Government.
(d) 
The term "Council" means the Dorchester County Council.
(e) 
The term "Charter" means the Charter of Dorchester County.
(f) 
The term "State" means the State of Maryland.
(g) 
The term "Budget" means the package of materials consisting of the Current Expense Budget, the Current Revenue Budget, the Capital Budget, the Capital Improvement Program, and the budget message.
(h) 
The term "Current Expense Budget" means the plan to receive and expend funds for charges incurred for operation, maintenance, interest, and other charges for the next fiscal year.
(i) 
The term "Current Revenue Budget" means the plan to raise and receive all manner of funds from all sources, including property taxes, for current needs and for annual appropriations for current projects.
(j) 
The term "Capital Budget" means the plan to receive and expend funds for capital projects during the next fiscal year.
(k) 
The term "Capital Improvement Program" means the plan to receive and expend funds for capital projects during the next fiscal year and the next succeeding five fiscal years thereafter.
(l) 
The term "Capital Project" means any physical betterment or improvement; any preliminary studies and surveys related to a physical betterment and improvement; and the acquisition, renovation, remodeling and construction of any property for public use of a long-term or permanent nature, including by a lease-purchase agreement.
If any article, section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase of this Charter is held unconstitutional, invalid, or inapplicable to any person or circumstance by a court of competent jurisdiction, all other articles, sections, subsections, clauses, or phrases of this Charter and their application to other persons and circumstances shall be separable and not affected by the decision.