In accordance with subdivision 3 of section 20 of the municipal home rule law, the local laws, ordinances and certain resolutions of the city of Buffalo shall be known collectively as the "Charter and Code of the City of Buffalo", hereafter termed the "Code". Wherever reference is made in any of the local laws, ordinances and resolutions contained in the Charter and Code of the City of Buffalo to any other local law, ordinance or resolution appearing in said code, such reference shall be changed to the appropriate chapter title, chapter number, article number or section number appearing below, as if such local law, ordinance or resolution had been formally amended to so read.
If any clause, sentence, paragraph, section, article or part of this local law, or of any local law, ordinance or resolution included in this code now or through supplementation, 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 operation to the clause, sentence, paragraph, section, article or part thereof directly involved in the controversy in which such judgment shall have been rendered.
A copy of the charter and code, in loose-leaf form, has been filed in the office of the city clerk of the city of Buffalo and shall remain there for use and examination by the public until final action is taken on this local law; and if this local law shall be adopted, such copy shall be certified to by the city clerk of the city of Buffalo by impressing thereon the seal of the city of Buffalo, and such certified copy shall remain on file in the office of said city clerk to be made available to persons desiring to examine the same during all times while the said code is in effect. The enactment and publication of this local law, coupled with the availability of a copy of the code for inspection by the public, shall be deemed held and considered to be due and legal publication of all provisions of the code for all purposes.
Any and all additions, deletions, amendments or supplements to any of the local laws, ordinances and resolutions known collectively as the charter and code of the city of Buffalo, or any new local laws or resolutions, when enacted or adopted in such form as to indicate the intention of the common council to be a part thereof, shall be deemed to be incorporated into such charter and code so that reference to the code shall be understood and intended to include such additions, deletions, amendments or supplements. Whenever such additions, deletions, amendments or supplements to the charter and code shall be enacted or adopted, they shall thereafter be printed and, as provided hereunder, inserted in the loose-leaf book containing said charter and code as amendments and supplements thereto. Nothing contained in this local law shall affect the status of any local law, ordinance or resolution contained herein, and such local laws, ordinances or resolutions may be amended, deleted or changed from time to time as the common council deems desirable.
It shall be the duty of the city clerk to keep up to date the certified copy of the book containing the charter and code of the city of Buffalo required to be filed in the office of the city clerk for use by the public. All changes in said code and all local laws and resolutions adopted by the common council subsequent to the enactment of this local law in such form as to indicate the intention of said council to be a part of said code shall, when finally enacted or adopted, be included therein by temporary attachment of copies of such changes, local laws or resolutions until such changes, local laws or resolutions are printed as supplements to said code book, at which time such supplements shall be inserted therein.
Copies of the charter and code may be purchased from the city clerk of the city of Buffalo upon the payment of a fee to be set by the city clerk who may also arrange for procedures for the periodic supplementation thereof.
Any person who, without authorization from the city clerk, changes or amends, by additions or deletions, any part or portion of the charter and code of the City of Buffalo, or who alters or tampers with such charter and code in any manner whatsoever which will cause the legislation of the city of Buffalo to be misrepresented thereby, or who violates any other provision of this local law, shall be guilty of an offense and shall, upon conviction thereof, be subject to a fine of not more than one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500.00) or imprisonment for a term of not more than fifteen (15) days, or both.
Except to the extent specifically provided to the contrary, this charter shall become effective July 1,2000. This charter shall supersede any inconsistent provision of any local law or ordinance and, to the extent authorized by the laws of the state of New York, any inconsistent provision of those laws. The corporation counsel shall prepare for enactment by the common council such amendments to the code of the city of Buffalo as may be necessary to conform to this charter.