[Amended by L. 1920, c. 866; L.L. No. 3-1990]
The Mayor shall be the general executive officer of the city. He shall:
1. 
See that the city departments, boards, commissions and officers faithfully perform their duties.
2. 
Use the powers and resources at his command for the maintenance of peace and good order within the city.
3. 
Be vigilant and active in causing the laws of the state and the ordinances of the Common Council to be executed and enforced within the city.
4. 
Communicate, by written message, to the Common Council, at least once a year, a statement of the finances and general condition of the affairs of the city, with such recommendation in relation thereto as he may deem proper.
5. 
Give such information in relation to the same as the Common Council may from time to time require.
6. 
Receive and examine complaints against any city officer for neglect of duties or malfeasance in office and immediately present the same to the Common Council.
7. 
Have power and authority to call out and command the police and firemen of the city, including the chief executive officers thereof, whenever, in his discretion, he shall deem it necessary, and such command shall be in all respects obeyed.
8. 
When he deems necessary, call together the heads of the different departments, boards, commissions and officers of the city for consultation and advice in relation to the city affairs and require them to report, in writing, at such meeting in regard to the transactions of the respective departments, boards, commissions and officers, and it shall be the duty of said heads and officers to attend such meeting and submit such reports to the Mayor without delay. The City Clerk shall attend such meeting and make a record of its transactions and keep such record in his office.
9. 
Execute all deeds made by the city and cause to be affixed thereto the City Seal, except tax deeds.
10. 
Have the authority at all times to examine records of any department, board, commission, office, officer or employee and may appoint one or more competent persons to examine without notice the records and accounts of any city department, board, commission, office, officer or employee and the moneys, securities and property belonging to the city in the possession or charge thereof and to report to him the result of such examination. Upon such examination conducted by the Mayor, he may take proof and testimony. The Mayor may fix the compensation, to be paid to such persons appointed and employed by him, and such compensation shall be a legal charge against the city.
[Amended by L.L. No. 3-1990]
Whenever there shall be a vacancy in the office of Mayor or whenever by reason of sickness or absence from the city for a period in excess of seven days the Mayor shall be prevented from attending to the duties of the office, the President of the Common Council shall act as Mayor, and possess all the rights of Mayor during such period of disability or absence. In case of a vacancy in the office of Mayor, he shall so act until noon of the first day of January next succeeding the election, at which the Mayor's successor shall be chosen. It shall not be lawful for the President of the Common Council, when acting as Mayor in consequence of the absence or sickness of the Mayor, to exercise any power of appointment or removal from office unless such sickness or absence shall have continued for a period of 30 days, or to sign, approve or disapprove any ordinance or resolution unless such sickness or absence shall have continued for a period of at least nine days. In case of a permanent vacancy in such office, the President of the Common Council shall have and receive the compensation of Mayor while acting in the discharge of the duties of Mayor.
[Amended by L.L. No. 1-1949; L.L. No. 3-1952; L.L. No. 3-1990]
The City Clerk shall:
1. 
Be Clerk of the Common Council and keep a journal of its proceedings.
2. 
Be a member of the Board of Public Safety hereinafter created and shall be Clerk thereof and keep a journal of its proceedings.
3. 
Be Clerk or Secretary of such other boards or commissions having no clerk or secretary, as the Common Council may by ordinance prescribe.
4. 
Transmit to each department, board, commission or officer a copy of every ordinance or resolution of the Common Council or Board of Public Safety affecting the department, board, commission or office.
5. 
Be the custodian of the City Seal and all records and documents of the city whose custody is not in some other department, board, commission or officer.
6. 
Upon payment of a fee of $5 per folio from each person, other than a city officer, make a certified copy of any record or document in his office under the Seal of the city.
7. 
Keep an accurate account of all fees and moneys received by him as such Clerk, other than his salary, and within 10 days after the receipt thereof, pay the same to the City Treasurer and which shall be credited to the general fund, for which he shall take receipt and file the same in his office.
8. 
Possess the powers and discharge all the duties and liabilities of a Town Clerk in relation thereto, and the office of City Clerk shall be a Town Clerk's office, and the city shall be deemed a town, for the purpose of depositing and filing therein all books and papers required or authorized by law to be filed in a Town Clerk's office.
9. 
Have such other powers and duties as may be prescribed by statute, ordinances or resolution of the Common Council.
10. 
The City Clerk may appoint and at pleasure remove a Deputy City Clerk, who shall be authorized to act subject to the directions of the City Clerk, generally for and in place of his principal, and who shall perform all the duties and possess all the powers of the City Clerk during the latter's absence or inability to act or in event of a vacancy in such office.
[Amended by L.L. No. 2-1942; L.L. No. 1-1952; L. 1953, c. 878, §§ 258 and 259; L.L. No. 4-1960; L.L. No. 1-1964; L.L. No. 3-1990]
The City Treasurer shall:
1. 
Be the fiscal officer of the city and shall keep a separate account of the different funds of the city and shall not pay out any moneys chargeable to any fund in excess of the amount standing on his books to the credit of such fund and shall not knowingly pay any moneys from any fund which is not properly chargeable thereto.
2. 
Be the collector of all taxes and assessments, including state and county taxes, and shall have the care and custody thereof and shall disburse the moneys belongings to or due the city from every source, except as otherwise provided by law.
3. 
Deposit daily to the credit of the city in such banks or trust companies as shall be designated by the Common Council for such purpose all moneys received by him each day, except where such daily receipts do not exceed $100.
4. 
Before the first meeting of the Common Council in each month, file with the City Clerk a report showing, in detail, the total expenditures and receipts of city moneys during the next preceding calendar month, a summary statement of the receipts and expenditures of the city moneys during that portion of the current fiscal year expiring with the last day of such preceding month and the balance at the end of such month, standing to the credit of each of the city funds. Such statement shall be in such form as shall be prescribed from time to time by the Common Council. An abstract of such report shall, if the Common Council so directs, be published each month at least once in the official newspaper of the city.
5. 
Have the possession of the warrants and assessment rolls, which may from time to time be delivered to him by the Clerk of the city.
6. 
Enter daily in suitable hooks, as may be prescribed by the Common Council, all sums of money received by him, on whose account the same shall have been paid, and at the expiration of each month exhibit the same to the Mayor and Finance Committee of the Common Council for inspection.
7. 
Enter in a column in the assessment rolls opposite the names of the persons or corporations who shall pay taxes or assessments the fact, amount and date of payment.
8. 
Keep a record of all persons and their addresses who may pay taxes for nonresidents of the city and the addresses of such nonresidents, so far as he can ascertain the same.
9. 
Be the custodian of all securities, obligations and other evidence of debt belonging to the city.
10. 
Annually settle with the Common Council and as most often as they may require for all city tax rolls and warrants and local assessment rolls and warrants issued to him and for all moneys received or collected by him for city purposes and shall account for all moneys paid upon warrants, drafts and orders of the Common Council.
11. 
Pay out no moneys unless the same has been audited in accordance with the provisions of this Act and upon warrants signed by the Mayor or Acting Mayor and City Clerk.
12. 
Have such other powers and duties as may be prescribed by statute, ordinance or resolution of the Common Council.
13. 
Employ a clerk in his office when authorized by the Common Council, at such compensation as may be fixed by it, which position shall be exempt from the provisions of the Civil Service Law. The Treasurer and the sureties on his official bond and the bonds which may be given by him shall be jointly and severally liable for all acts of such clerk. The Treasurer may discharge any such clerk appointed by him without notice.
14. 
The City Treasurer may appoint a Deputy City Treasurer, who shall be authorized to act, subject to the direction of the City Treasurer, generally for an in place of his principal, who shall perform all the duties and possess all the powers of the City Treasurer during his absence or inability to act or in the event of a vacancy in such office. The compensation of such Deputy shall be fixed by the Common Council, and the same shall be a city charge. The certificate of appointment of such Deputy shall be in conformity with § 16 of the City Charter, and the undertaking of the City Treasurer required by § 49 of the City Charter shall cover the acts and defaults of such Deputy, and any additional premium for such additional coverage shall be a city charge.
14A. 
The City Treasurer may appoint and at pleasure remove a City Accountant, who shall be responsible, under the direction and control of the City Treasurer, for the general accounting functions and duties pertaining to the accounts and records of the City School District and the Water Department in the City Treasurer's office and who shall perform such other duties as the City Treasurer may from time to time prescribe.
14B. 
The City Treasurer may appoint all other personnel which the City Treasurer deems fit to the City Treasurer staff, subject to budget approval by the City Council. The additional personnel shall perform such duties as the City Treasurer may from time to time prescribe.
[Added 9-5-2012 by L.L. No. 4-2012]
[Amended by L.L. No. 3-1990]
Before entering upon the discharge of his duties, the City Treasurer shall execute and file with the City Clerk an official bond in such penal sum as may be prescribed by the Common Council, not less than $50,000 nor more than the aggregate amount of money received by the Treasurer of the city during the last fiscal year. The surety in such bond shall be a fidelity or a surety corporation, and the reasonable expense of procuring such surety shall, together with the bond which may be required to be given by the Clerk of said Treasurer, be a charge against the city. Such bond, when approved as provided by law, shall be filed in the office of the City Clerk.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 50, General powers and duties of the City Engineer, and § 51, Additional powers and duties of City Engineer, both as amended by L. 1920, c. 866, were repealed by L.L. No. 3-1990.
[Amended by L.L. No. 3-1990]
It shall be the duty of the President of the Common Council and every Alderman to attend the regular and special meetings of the Common Council; to act upon committees when thereunto appointed by the Mayor or Common Council; to arrest or cause to be arrested all persons violating the laws of this state or ordinances, bylaws or police regulations of the city, when such violations are committed in his presence; to report to the Mayor all subordinate officers who are guilty of any official misconduct or neglect of duty; to aid in maintaining peace and good order in the city and to perform and assist in performing all such duties as are by this Act enjoined upon Aldermen of the city separately or upon the Common Council thereof.
The Sealer of Weights and Measures, when directed by the Mayor, shall inspect and examine such weights, measures, scale beams, measures of extension and weighing apparatus and shall at all times possess the same powers and be subject to the same obligations as a sealer of weights and measures of the several towns of this state and shall do and perform such other duties in connection with his office as may be prescribed by the Common Council.
The Marshals of said city shall have the same powers and jurisdiction and be subject to the same liabilities as if the City of Rensselaer were a town in the County of Rensselaer and they were constables thereof, except that no Marshal of the city shall be compelled to execute any criminal process or aid in other criminal business, nor shall any Marshal of the city be entitled to receive any compensation for his services in any criminal actions or special proceedings of a criminal nature for or on account of any offense committed or charged to have been committed within said city.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 55, General powers and duties of Assessors, was repealed by L.L. No. 3-1990.
[Amended by L.L. No. 3-1990]
No person shall be eligible to the appointment as Health Officer unless he shall be a physician and surgeon, duly licensed to practice under the laws of this state, and has practiced as such for at least two years. The Health Officer shall possess such powers and perform such duties as shall be delegated to or prescribed to be performed by health physicians of cities by law, by the Board of Public Safety or by ordinances of the Common Council. He shall perform all services required by law to be performed of a physician or surgeon by the Education Law or any law of the state or this Act, and it shall not be lawful for the Common Council, Board of Education or any other officer or board of the city to employ any other physician or surgeon, and his compensation herein fixed shall be in full payment of all services which he shall render.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 57, General powers and duties of Supervisors, as amended by L. 1943, c. 710, § 58, General powers and duties of Superintendent of Fire Alarm, and § 59, The entire City of Rensselaer shall comprise a single charity district, as amended by L.L. No. 2-1934, were repealed by L.L. No. 3-1990.
Commissioners of Deeds appointed by the Common Council shall hold office for a term of two years from the dates of their appointment or until others are appointed in their places. A vacancy occurring during the term for which any Commissioner shall be appointed shall be filled by the Common Council. The Common Council shall, at the end of every even-numbered year, by resolution, determine the number of Commissioners of Deeds to be appointed. Such Commissioner of Deeds shall be appointed by resolution of the Common Council, and the City Clerk shall immediately after such appointment file a certificate thereof with the County Clerk of Rensselaer County, specifying the term for which said Commissioner of Deeds shall have been appointed. The County Clerk shall thereupon notify such persons of their appointment, and such persons shall qualify by taking the oath of office before such County Clerk within 10 days after the giving of such notice, and the County Clerk shall demand and receive the sum of $1 from each person so qualifying. Commissioners of Deeds shall have power to take proof and acknowledgments of all written instruments.
The powers and duties of all other city officers shall be such as are hereinafter prescribed in this Act or, when not so prescribed, as provided by existing general laws applicable to such officers, and all such officers shall do and perform such other duties and services connected with their offices as may be prescribed by the Common Council by ordinances or resolution thereof.