A Charter amendment may be proposed by a member
of the County Legislature, the County Executive or the Legislative
bodies of any of the towns or villages of the County. The proposal
must then be enacted by a local law passed by a two-thirds (2/3) vote
of the County Legislature subject to referendum on petition as provided
in the Municipal Home Rule Law. Any proposed amendment which would
have the effect of transferring a function or duty of the County or
of a town, village, district or other unit of local government of
the County shall not become operative unless it is approved by mandatory
referendum. Any amendment which would create or abolish an elected
office; change the power of an elected County officer during his or
her term of office; abolish, curtail or transfer to another County
officer or agency any power of an elected County officer, or change
the method of election of the County Legislature, but not including
decennial reapportionment, shall be subject to a permissive referendum.
If any provision of this Charter is not clear
or requires elaboration in its application to the County, the County
Legislature may interpret such provision in a local law not inconsistent
with the provisions of the Municipal Home Rule Law.
The Administrative Code shall be adopted by
local law.
Words of the masculine gender include the feminine
and the neuter, and may refer to a corporation, or to a board or other
body or assemblage of persons or other legal entity and, when the
sense so indicates, words or the neuter gender may refer to any gender.
All contracts entered into by the County shall
be executed in the manner provided in this Charter or as directed
by the County Legislature.
The County Legislature shall appoint a Charter
Revision Commission to review the Putnam County Charter and make recommendations
for revisions thereof at intervals of not less than ten years, starting
in the year 2000; however, nothing contained herein shall prevent
the amendment of the Charter at any time.
If any provision of this Charter shall be adjudged
by any court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, such judgment
shall not affect, impair or invalidate the remainder thereof but shall
be confined in its operations to the particular provision directly
involved in the controversy.
This Charter shall be liberally construed to
achieve its objectives and purposes.
