[Amended 4-9-2007 by L.L. No. 3-2007]
The City Chamberlain may be appointed by the Mayor at his/her discretion and shall be subject to confirmation by the Common Council. He/she shall hold office during good behavior subject to the Civil Service Law of the State of New York and any other applicable statutes pertaining thereto.
[Amended 10-28-1996 by L.L. No. 3-1996]
The City Chamberlain shall perform all the duties prescribed by the Charter of the City of Oswego and such other duties properly pertaining to his office as the Common Council or the Mayor may require. He shall be allowed such sums of money as the Common Council shall approve for Clerk for hiring a clerk and additional help. The Chamberlain shall be subject to all the liabilities and obligations prescribed by law for Town Collectors, and he shall possess all the powers and authority conferred by law on collectors of county taxes, and any and all fees or penalties paid on delinquent or over due taxes shall belong to the City of Oswego.
Before entering upon the duties of his office, he shall execute and deliver a bond for an amount determined by the Council to the City of Oswego. The bond shall be executed by a duly authorized surety company incorporated under New York State law or authorized to do business in New York State, to be approved by the Mayor and conditioned that he shall faithfully execute the duties of his office and account for and pay over all moneys received by him. The cost of the premium paid for the bond shall be paid by the city. The bond shall remain in force during his tenure.
Before any warrant for the collection of taxes that shall have been issued by the legislature of the County of Oswego shall be delivered to said City Chamberlain, he shall execute and deliver an additional bond to the County of Oswego for an amount determined by the Council; executed by a duly authorized surety company incorporated under the laws of the State of New York or duly authorized to do business in said state; to be approved by the Mayor, the Chairman of the County Legislature and the County Judge, conditioned that he shall faithfully collect such taxes and pay over the same according to law; which bond the Mayor shall, forthwith, after the same shall have been so approved, deliver to the Clerk of the County of Oswego with such approval endorsed thereon.
The office of the City Chamberlain shall be kept at the City Hall, or in such place as shall be designated by Council resolution, and shall maintain regular office hours to be determined by the Council.
The City Chamberlain shall receive all moneys belonging to the city and keep an accurate account of all receipts and expenditures. He shall keep separate accounts of all disbursements chargeable to the several funds created by this Charter and shall credit the funds respectively with all receipts by him belonging thereto. He shall also keep accounts of receipts and expenditures relating to any other subject matter, local or otherwise, not included in said funds, as the Common Council shall direct. All claims for labor, services, material and supplies furnished any city officer, board or department shall be presented in duplicate, one copy of which shall be delivered to the City Chamberlain with the warrant of the officer, board or department in payment thereof, and it shall be the duty of the City Chamberlain before payment thereof to to satisfy himself that said claim is a legal charge against the City of Oswego and the fund on which such warrant is drawn. All moneys, except funds levied for any board or department in the city tax levy, shall be drawn from the treasury in pursuance of the order of the Common Council by warrants signed by the Mayor or the presiding officer of the Common Council, and countersigned by the City Clerk. Such warrants shall state for what purpose the amount thereof is to be paid and to what fund chargeable. The books and entries of the City Chamberlain shall be open to the public at all reasonable hours. The City Chamberlain shall render a monthly report of the disbursements of each board and department of said city and the balance remaining in each fund at the end of every month to the Mayor and the Common Council and shall present to the Common Council annually, at the end of each fiscal year, a full account of all receipts and expenditures after the date of his last annual report, and also of the state of the treasury, which reports shall be filed in the office of the City Clerk.
It shall be the duty of the City Chamberlain to receive all county, city and local taxes and assessments which may be paid at his office and to retain possession of all appropriate warrants and assessment rolls.
He shall record daily all the items of money received by him for taxes or otherwise during that day with the name of the person or corporation on whose account the same shall have been paid and the wards for which such taxes are received. He shall also enter in a column in the assessment rolls in his possession, opposite the names of the person or corporation who shall pay their taxes or assessments, the fact of payment and the date when paid. He shall keep a record of all persons and their respective addresses who may pay taxes for nonresidents of said city and the addresses of such nonresidents, so far as he can ascertain the same.
The Chamberlain shall proceed without delay to enforce all the provisions of this Charter for the collection of unpaid taxes. He shall take possession of and assert title to all property acquired by the city resulting from any tax sale.
The City Chamberlain is hereby forbidden to pay any draft or order drawn upon him, unless at the time such draft or order is presented there is a credit to the board or department drawing such draft or order sufficient to pay the same, nor shall the City Chamberlain have credit for any such draft or order paid by him in violation of this provision in the settlement of his accounts with the city. The board, department or officer violating any of the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
The City Chamberlain shall pay at maturity, out of the city funds applicable thereto, the principal of and interest of any obligations of the city, legal in their inception, without an order from the Common Council or any department, and any such obligation so paid shall be a valid voucher in his hands.
The records of all sales of real estate for unpaid city taxes shall hereafter be kept and preserved in the office of the City Chamberlain. The City Chamberlain shall, upon request and payment of his fees therefor, make and certify official searches upon real and personal property for unpaid city taxes and shall charge and collect therefor a fee to be determined by the Council. Every such search shall be certified under the official hand and seal of said City Chamberlain. The City Chamberlain shall, at the expense of the city, provide and keep for use on all official documents requiring the official certificate of the City Chamberlain a seal to bear upon its face the following words: "City Chamberlain's Office. Seal. City of Oswego, New York." Such seal shall be the legal official seal of the City Chamberlain of the City of Oswego and shall be transmitted by each Chamberlain to his successor in office, together with all the books, papers, documents and other paraphernalia belonging to said office.
The interest on all moneys deposited in banks by the City Chamberlain, if any be allowed by such banks, shall belong to the City of Oswego.
The City Chamberlain shall deposit in an officially designated bank or banks all moneys received by him as such City Chamberlain, except the moneys collected by him for the state and county taxes by virtue of a warrant issued by the County Legislature, within forty-eight (48) hours after its receipt. Such moneys shall be drawn from said bank or banks only upon the check of the City Chamberlain, and all checks shall be payable to the order of the person or persons entitled to receive the amount identified on the check.
The City Chamberlain shall make sales of lands for unpaid local assessments, including assessments for sidewalks and other assessments in the manner provided in this Charter, at the same time of the general tax sale.
No person, other than the City Chamberlain, shall be authorized to have custody over city funds, and all city offices authorized to receive funds shall transmit all receipts to the City Chamberlain, within twenty-four (24) hours of receipt or during the next business day, at the Chamberlain's office.