The legislative, appropriating and policy-determining powers of Putnam County shall be vested in an elected body, which shall be known as the County Legislature. The County Legislature shall consist of nine (9) members elected from single-member districts.
[Amended 5-3-2011 by L.L. No. 12-2011; 7-2-2013 by L.L. No. 8-2013[1]; 11-12-2024 by L.L. No. 2-2025[2]]
A.
The County Legislators shall be elected for terms of three (3) years at the general elections hereinafter provided and every three (3) years thereafter as follows:
(1)
At the general election held in November of 2026, County Legislators from Legislative Districts Two, Three and Eight shall be elected for said term of three years.
(2)
At the general election held in November of 2027, County Legislators from Legislative Districts One, Four and Seven shall be elected for said term of three years.
(3)
At the general election held in November of 2025, County Legislators from Legislative Districts Five, Six and Nine shall be elected for said term of three years.
B.
With the exception of a partial term, the County Legislators shall serve a maximum of four (4) terms.
C.
With the exception of a partial term, in no instance may a Legislator serve more than four terms or 12 years, whichever is less.
D.
Except in the instance where a general or special state law would otherwise necessitate, amending, modifying or repealing the term limit provisions as set forth in this § 2.02 may only be accomplished by the enactment of a local law adopted by the County Legislature by a unanimous vote of the whole of its number, subject to referendum on petition as provided in the Municipal Home Rule Law.
At the time of his or her nomination and election, and throughout his or her term of office, each County Legislator shall be and shall remain an elector of the district from which he or she is elected. No County Legislator shall hold any other elected public office during the term for which he or she is elected to the County Legislature.
The County Legislature shall be the legislative, appropriating and policy-determining body of the County. Except as may otherwise be provided in this Charter, it shall have and exercise all the legislative powers and duties now or hereafter conferred or imposed upon it by this Charter or upon a board of supervisors or the legislative body of a county by state law, together with all the powers and duties necessarily implied or incidental thereto. The County Legislature shall have, but not by limitation, the following powers and duties:
(a)
To adopt by resolution all necessary rules and regulations for its conduct and procedure;
(b)
To make appropriations, levy taxes, incur indebtedness and adopt the County budget;
(c)
To exercise all powers of local legislation in relation to enacting, amending or rescinding local laws, Charter laws, legalizing acts or resolutions;
(d)
To adopt, amend and repeal by local law an Administrative Code which shall set forth the details of the administration of the County government consistent with the provisions of this Charter;
(e)
To confirm, when required, the appointments made by the County Executive according to the procedure cited in § 2.08 of this article;
(f)
To create, alter, combine or abolish by local law County administrative units not headed by elective officers;
(g)
To fix by resolution the compensation of all officers and employees paid from County funds except members of the judiciary and employees whose salary is set by the Board of Elections pursuant to Section 3-300 of the Election Law; also except that the compensation of any elected official paid from County funds shall not be decreased during his or her term of office.
[Amended 4-8-2015 by L.L. No. 7-2015]
(h)
To fix by resolution the compensation to be paid from County funds for persons who are rendering service to or in behalf of the County but who are not officers or employees of the County;
(i)
To make or cause to be made such studies, audits and investigations as it deems to be in the best interest of the County, and in connection therewith to obtain professional and technical advice, appoint temporary advisory boards of citizens, subpoena witnesses, administer oaths and require the production of bonds, papers and other evidence deemed necessary;
(j)
To fix the amount of bonds of officers and employees paid from County funds;
(k)
To designate annually by resolution one, but not more than three newspapers published within the County of all enactments, notices and other matters required by law;
(l)
To establish or abolish positions of employment and titles thereof;
(m)
To fill vacancies in any elective county offices except the judiciary in accordance with this Charter and other applicable laws;
(n)
To designate one or more depositories for the deposit of all monies received by the Commissioner of Finance;
(o)
To fix the amount of the annual salary of its members by resolution provided, however, that the Chair shall receive an additional stipend of 25% of such annual salary;
(p)
To determine and make provision for any matter of County government not otherwise provided for;
(q)
To appoint, as deemed necessary and proper, by resolution duly adopted, outside counsel on a per case basis;
[Added 8-1-2017 by L.L. No. 10-2017]
(r)
To appoint, or consent to be appointed, by resolution duly adopted, a mediator or arbitrator in any collective bargaining labor dispute or negotiation involving the County as an employer.
[Added 8-1-2017 by L.L. No. 10-2017[1]]
[1]
Editor’s Note: This local law also provided for the redesignation of former Subsection (r) as Subsection (s).
(s)
Publication requirements.
[Added 8-3-2010 by L.L. No. 16-2010]
(1)
The notice hearing to be held by the County Executive for the adoption of a local law as provided for in § 3.04-B of the Charter shall contain an abstract of the provisions thereof and shall include the location and availability of a copy of the actual text of each local law.
(2)
Upon adoption of each local law of the County of Putnam the Clerk of the Legislature shall cause the publication once in the official newspapers of the County of the Notice of Adoption of said local law and an abstract of the provision thereof. Said notice shall include the location and availability of a copy of the actual text of each local law. This publication shall be in lieu of that required by County Law 214(2), which is hereby expressly superseded by this local law.
(t)
To require the production or inspection of documents, records, bonds, papers and other information kept, held, maintained, or in possession of any officers or employee paid from County funds as deemed necessary;
[Added 7-6-2021 by L.L. No. 7-2021]
(u)
To establish, review, and approve policies to be followed by all officers and employees paid from County funds.
[Added 7-6-2021 by L.L. No. 7-2021]
The County Legislature shall, on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January of each year or as soon thereafter as practicable, meet and organize by election from among its members a Chair, a Deputy Chair and such other legislative officials as it deems appropriate. The Chair shall appoint members of the County Legislature to serve on such legislative committees as are provided by the rules of the County Legislature. The County Clerk shall serve as Chair until such time as the County Legislature itself elects a Chair.
[Amended 9-7-2021 by L.L. No. 12-2021]
Effective December 31, 2022, the County Legislature shall, by the thirty first day in December, and every three years thereafter, appoint a Clerk who shall serve at the pleasure of the County Legislature. From time to time the Clerk shall appoint such additional personnel as are required for the efficient operation of the office of the Clerk within the appropriations provided therefor.
If a vacancy should occur in the office of County Legislator, such vacancy shall be filled at the next general election for the remainder of the unexpired term. The County Legislature shall appoint a qualified elector of the district in which the vacancy occurred to serve until a successor has been elected and qualified.
[Amended 7-1-2003 by L.L. No. 13-2003; 9-7-2010 by L.L. No. 20-2010; 7-6-2021 by L.L. No. 8-2021]
Confirmation of appointments submitted to the County Legislature, except as otherwise provided by the Charter, shall be the affirmative vote of a majority of the whole number of members of the County Legislature taken at a regular or special meeting. Said vote shall be taken no longer than sixty (60) days after such appointment has been filed with the Clerk of the Legislature and shall include the committee review process. If the County Legislature shall fail to approve or disapprove any appointment on or before the sixtieth (60th) day, such appointment shall be deemed approved and take effect at that time.
[Amended 12-7-2010 by L.L. No. 5-2011; 7-6-2021 by L.L. No. 9-2021]
The County Legislature shall, on an annual basis, provide that an independent audit be performed of the accounts of the County and of every County department, office and agency. Such audit shall be made by a qualified accountant or accounting firm, so designated by the Legislature, which has no personal or professional conflict of interest with respect to the affairs of the County or of any of its departments, offices or agencies. Additional audits may be commissioned by the County Legislature at any time.
[Amended 10-5-2010 by L.L. No. 19-2010; 9-7-2021 by L.L. No. 13-2021]
Effective January 1, 2001, the County Legislature shall on the first day in January or as soon thereafter as practicable, and every three years thereafter, appoint an Auditor who shall serve at the pleasure of the County Legislature. The Auditor and all full-time managerial employees in the department shall serve on a full-time basis and shall not engage in any private practice, nor be employed, in their field of expertise with the County by any private or other governmental entity. The Auditor shall be supervised by the County Legislature.
(a)
Powers and duties of the Auditor shall include:
(1)
Auditing and certifying for payment all lawful claim and charge against the County, whether for payroll or otherwise, or against funds for which the County is responsible in whole or in part;
(2)
Certifying the availability of funds for all requisitions, contracts, purchase orders and other documents by which the County incurs financial obligations or for the expenditure of funds for which the County is responsible;