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.