[Adopted 12-15-1998 by Ord. No. 98-11-238 (Ch. 1, Art. I, §§ 1-2 through 1-9, of the 1977 Code)]
In the construction of this Code, and of all ordinances and resolutions, the rules and definitions set out in this article shall be observed, unless such construction would be inconsistent with the manifest intent of the County Board. The rules of construction and definitions as set out herein shall not be applied to any section of this Code which shall contain any express provision excluding such construction, or where the subject matter in the context of such section may be repugnant thereto.
A. 
All general provisions, terms, phrases and expressions contained in this Code shall be liberally construed in the order that the true intent and meaning of the County Board may be fully carried out.
B. 
In the interpretation and application of any provisions of this Code, they shall be held to be the minimum requirements adopted for the promotion of the public health, safety, comfort, convenience and general welfare. Where any provision of the Code imposes greater restrictions upon the subject matter than the general provision imposed by the Code, the provision imposing the greater restriction or regulation shall be deemed to be controlling.
A. 
Terms defined. As used in this Code, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
CODE
The words "Code" or "this Code" shall mean the Stephenson County Code.
COUNTY
The words "the County" or "this County" shall mean the County of Stephenson in the State of Illinois.
COUNTY BOARD or BOARD
The County Board of Stephenson County, Illinois.
COURT or CIRCUIT COURT
The Circuit Court of the 15th Judicial Circuit.
ELECTORS
Persons qualified to vote for elective officers at County elections.
GENDER
A word importing the masculine gender only shall be extended to be applied to females and to firms, partnerships and corporations as well as to males.
MONTH
The word "month" shall mean a calendar month.
OATH
Shall be construed to include an affirmation in all cases in which, by law, an affirmation may be substituted for an oath, and in such cases the words "swear" and "sworn" shall be equivalent to the words "affirm" and "affirmed."
ORDINANCES
Ordinances of Stephenson County and all amendments thereto.
OWNER
As applied to a building or land shall include any part owner, joint owner, tenant in common, tenant in partnership, joint tenant, or tenant by the entirety, of the whole or of a part of such building or land.
PERSON
Shall extend and be applied to associations, clubs, societies, firms, partnerships and bodies politic and corporate as well as to individuals.
PERSONAL PROPERTY
Includes every species of property except real property, as herein described.
PRECEDING; FOLLOWING
Next before and next after, respectively.
PROPERTY
Includes real and personal property.
REAL PROPERTY
Includes lands, tenements and hereditaments.
RESOLUTION
All resolutions of Stephenson County and all amendments thereto.
SHALL
The word "shall" is mandatory.
SIGNATURE or SUBSCRIPTION
Includes a mark when the person cannot write.
STATE
The words "the state" or "this state" shall be construed to mean the State of Illinois.
TENANT or OCCUPANT
As applied to a building or land shall include any person holding a written or oral lease or who occupies the whole or part of such buildings or lands, either alone or with others.
WATER DEPARTMENT
Refers to the city water system.
WHOLESALE, WHOLESALER, ETC.
In all cases where the words "wholesale," "wholesaler," or "wholesale dealer" are used in this Code, unless otherwise specifically defined, they shall be understood and held to relate to the sale of goods, merchandise, articles or things in quantity to persons who purchase for purposes of resale, as distinguished from a retail dealer who sells in smaller quantities directly to the consumer.
WRITTEN or IN WRITING
Construed to include any representation of words, letters or figures, whether by printing or otherwise.
YEAR
A calendar year.
B. 
Interpretation.
(1) 
Computation of time. Whenever a notice is required to be given or an act to be done a certain length of time before any proceeding shall be had, the day on which such notice is given, or such act is done, shall be counted in computing the time, but the day on which such proceeding is to be held shall not be counted.
(2) 
Delegation of authority. Whenever a provision appears requiring the head of a department or some other County officer to do some act or perform some duty, it is to be construed to authorize the head of the department or other officer to designate, delegate and authorize subordinates to perform the required act or perform the duty unless the terms of the provisions or section specify otherwise.
(3) 
Joint authority. All words giving a joint authority to three or more persons or officers shall be construed as giving such authority to a majority of such persons or officers.
(4) 
Nontechnical and technical terms. Words and phrases shall be construed according to the common and approved usage of the language, but technical words and phrases and such others as may have acquired a peculiar and appropriate meaning in law shall be construed and understood according to such meaning.
(5) 
Number. A word importing the singular number only may extend and be applied to several persons and things as well as one person or thing.
(6) 
Officers and employees generally. Whenever any officer or employee is referred to by such title, such as "County Clerk," "County Treasurer," or "Sheriff," such reference shall be construed as if followed by the words "of Stephenson County."
(7) 
Tense. Words used in the past or present tense include the future as well as the past and present.
Unless otherwise provided, this Code shall apply to all acts performed within the unincorporated area of the County.
The catchlines of several sections of this Code printed in boldface type are intended as mere catchwords to indicate the contents of the section and shall not be deemed or taken to be the title of such sections, nor as any part of the section, nor, unless expressly so provided, shall they be so deemed when any of such sections, including the catchlines, are amended or reenacted.
All ordinances, resolutions or motions passed subsequent to this Code which amend, repeal or in any way affect this Code may be numbered in accordance with the numbering system of this Code and printed for inclusion herein, or in the case of repealed chapters, sections and subsections or any part thereof, by subsequent ordinances, such repealed portions may be excluded from this Code by omission from reprinted pages affected thereby and such subsequent provisions as numbered and printed or omitted, in the case of repeal, shall be prima facie evidence of them until such time as this Code and subsequent provisions numbered or omitted are readopted as a new code by the County Board.
A. 
When any ordinance, resolution or motion repealing a former ordinance, resolution, motion, clause or provisions shall be itself repealed, such repeal shall not be construed to revive such former ordinance, resolution, motion, clause or provisions unless it shall be therein so expressly provided.
B. 
The repeal of an ordinance, resolution or motion shall not affect any punishment or penalty incurred before the repeal took affect, nor any suit, prosecution or proceeding pending at the time of the repeal, for an offense committed or cause of action arising under the ordinance, resolution or motion repealed.
The sections, paragraphs, sentences, clauses and phrases of this Code are severable, and if any phrase, clause, sentence, paragraph or section of this Code shall be declared unconstitutional, invalid or unenforceable by the valid judgment or decree of a court of competent jurisdiction, such unconstitutionality, invalidity or unenforceability shall not affect any of the remaining phrases, clauses, sentences, paragraphs and sections of this Code.
It shall be unlawful for any person in the County to change or amend, by additions or deletions, any part or portions of this Code, or to insert or delete pages, or portions thereof, or to alter or tamper with such Code in any manner whatsoever which will cause the law of the County to be misrepresented thereby.
[Amended 2-13-2013 by Ord. No. 13-02-1959]
The Code is hereby authorized to be printed and published in book and in electronic form by authority of the County Board.