The Sheriff shall be the chief peace officer of the County and
the keeper of the County Jail and shall perform all acts required
by law or regulations of a competent authority. The Sheriff shall
keep, or cause to be kept, such books and records for his/her office
and for the County Jail and shall make such reports and returns as
are or may be hereafter required by law or by direction of a competent
authority.
The County Legislature shall have power to provide a fund for
the payment in advance of audit of properly itemized and verified
bills for the expenses of the Sheriff lawfully and necessarily incurred
in the transportation of prisoners, and the County Executive may authorize
the Commissioner of Finance to apply said fund in payment of such
bills on the approval of the Sheriff and endorsed thereon. The Sheriff
and any claimant receiving payment as aforesaid shall be jointly and
severally liable for any item or items contained in a bill so paid
in advance of audit which shall be disallowed upon final audit, to
be recovered in an action brought by the County Attorney in the name
of the County.
The salary of the Sheriff shall be fixed by the County Legislature
and shall be in lieu of all fees or other compensation. All fees which
he/she shall charge and collect by virtue of law from any person in
civil matters or otherwise shall belong to the County and such Sheriff
shall keep an exact account of the same in such form as the Comptroller
shall prescribe, and shall pay over to the Commissioner of Finance,
without deduction or delay at such times and under such conditions
as he/she may prescribe, all fees collected, the same to be accompanied
by a verified statement to the effect that such fees are all the fees
collected by him/her or his/her subordinates within five days after
the expiration of said month, in such form as he/she may prescribe.
Whenever it shall be necessary to keep together the members
of a jury during their deliberations, the court may direct the Sheriff
to furnish specified meals and/or lodging to such jury. The claim
for the expenses thereof shall be presented to the Commissioner of
Finance, which claim must bear the approval of the Sheriff and of
the judge, court or clerk of the court for which the jury was chosen
and shall be paid as other court expenses are paid.