In the construction of this Code and of all County ordinances, the following rules of construction and definitions shall be observed, unless such construction or definition would be inconsistent with the manifest intent of the Board of County Commissioners or be repugnant to the context of the provisions or the context clearly requires otherwise.
A. 
All words and phrases shall be construed and understood according to the common and approved usage of language, except where otherwise defined in a given ordinance, but technical words and phrases and such others as may have acquired a peculiar and appropriate meaning in the law shall be construed and understood according to such peculiar and appropriate meaning.
B. 
Gender. Words importing gender include all genders.
C. 
“May” is discretionary.
D. 
“Shall” is mandatory.
Where not defined in particular chapters of the County Code, as used in this Code, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
AIRPORT
The Doña Ana County Airport at Santa Teresa.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS or COUNTY COMMISSION
The Board of County Commissioners of Doña Ana County.
COUNTY
Doña Ana County.
LAW
Any statute, ordinance or regulation promulgated by the United States, the state, the County or any agencies thereof, as well as the rules and regulations of other bodies politic that may be appropriate.
PERSON
Includes and shall be applied to a firm, partnership, association, corporation, organization, club, society, group acting as a unit, or body politic and corporate, as well as to an individual.
PERSONAL PROPERTY
Includes money, goods, chattels, evidences of debt, things in action, and any other species of property, except real property.
PROPERTY
Includes real, personal, and mixed property.
PUBLIC PLACE
Any public way, park, cemetery, school yard or open space adjacent thereto; any public lake or stream; and any place or business open to the use of the public in general, open to public view or to which the public has access.
PUBLIC ROAD
All roads and highways established pursuant to any law of New Mexico, and roads dedicated to public use, that have not been vacated or abandoned, and such other roads as are recognized and maintained by Dona Ana County. (NMSA § 67-2-1).
REAL PROPERTY
Includes lands, tenements and hereditaments.
ROAD
Includes public streets, avenues, boulevards, highways, roads, alleys, lanes, viaducts, bridges, public ways and approaches thereto and other public thoroughfares in the County devoted to public use.
STATE
The State of New Mexico.