This Charter, except as otherwise expressly provided herein, shall become effective and shall be the charter of government for Suffolk County when adopted by a majority of the electors of Suffolk County voting at a general election held in said County. At the time of such general election, the question of the adoption of this Charter shall be stated as follows: "Shall the County Charter for Suffolk County provided by Chapter
278 of the Laws of 1958 be adopted and become operative in Suffolk County?"
[Amended 5-25-1964 by L.L. No. 2-1964; 8-11-1969 by L.L. No.
17-1969; 8-11-1970 by L.L. No. 23-1970]
This Charter, as an alternative form of government for the County of Suffolk, may be amended in accordance with the State Constitution, applicable statutes and the provisions hereof, provided that §§
C1-7,
C1-8 and
C21-6 may be amended only upon mandatory referendum.
The term of an office of an elective County official shall not
be abridged by reason of the approval of the adoption of this Charter
or any question submitted to the voters pursuant to this Charter.
If an elective official is continued in office after his office is
abolished, he shall perform such duties during the remainder of his
term as may be assigned to him by the County Executive.
This Charter shall be liberally construed to effectuate the
objects and purposes thereof and the public policy of the state as
hereby declared.
If any clause, sentence, paragraph, section or article of this
Act or the Charter provided herein 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 or article
thereof directly involved in the controversy in which such judgment
shall have been rendered.
This Act shall take effect immediately.
[Added 5-26-1987 by L.L. No. 23-1987; amended 10-5-2021 by L.L. No. 26-2021]
A. All policy-making commissions, boards, agencies, councils and other
public bodies or public entities created by the County of Suffolk
shall permit members of the public at large to address such boards,
councils, commissions, agencies and other public bodies or public
entities prior to the taking or completion of any formal action by
such commissions, boards, agencies, councils, entities or bodies,
during any meeting which must be open to the general public under
the open meetings provisions of Article 7 of the New York Public Officers
Law. These requirements shall not apply to bodies created by the County
of Suffolk which are solely advisory in nature.
B. Each policy-making board, council, commission, agency and other public
body or public entity covered by this law shall adopt its own time
limit regarding the period of time during which such members of the
public may address said boards, council, commission, agency, entity
or body, except that no such rule or regulation shall provide for
less than three minutes for public participation per individual. Bodies
created by the County of Suffolk which are solely advisory in nature
may adopt rules for public participation in accordance with this paragraph,
at their own election.