[Amended 12-7-2010 by L.L. No. 3-2011]
There shall be a Department of Finance under the direction of a Commissioner of Finance, who shall be appointed by the County Executive subject to confirmation by the County Legislature. He/She shall be appointed on the basis of his/her administrative and financial experience and other qualifications for the responsibilities of his/her office. He/She shall be directly responsible to, and serve at the pleasure of, the County Executive. There shall be within the Department of Finance an independent Division of Real Property Tax Services, which shall possess all of the powers and duties set forth in Section 6.11 of the Dutchess County Administrative Code.
The Commissioner of Finance shall be the chief fiscal officer of the County. Except as may otherwise be provided in this Charter, he/she shall:
(a) 
Have charge of the administration of all the financial affairs of the County;
(b) 
Collect, receive, have custody of, deposit and disburse all fees, revenues and other funds of the County or for which the County is responsible;
(c) 
Perform all duties of county treasurers or other County officers relating to the collection of taxes;
(d) 
Maintain tax records of title to real property;
(e) 
Submit a complete statement of County finance to the County Executive and the County Legislature on or before the first day of March and at such other times as either may require; and
(f) 
Have all the powers and perform all the duties conferred or imposed by law upon a county commissioner of finance, and perform such other and related duties required by the County Executive or County Legislature.
The Commissioner of Finance shall have the power to appoint such Deputy Commissioners, assistants and employees of his/her department as shall be authorized by the County Legislature. All such appointees shall be directly responsible to, and serve at the pleasure of, the Commissioner, except where otherwise provided by this Charter, the Administrative Code or applicable law.
The Commissioner of Finance, subject to approval by the County Executive, shall designate in writing, and in order of succession, the Deputy Commissioners and assistants who shall be Acting Commissioner of Finance in the event of his/her absence from the County or inability to perform and exercise the powers and duties of his/her office. Such designation shall be filed with the County Clerk and the Clerk of the County Legislature and may be revoked at any time by the Commissioner filing a new written designation and order of succession. The Acting Commissioner of Finance shall have all the powers and perform all the duties of the Commissioner.