There shall be an Office of the County Executive. The County Executive shall be a resident and qualified voter of the County. He/she/they shall be elected from the County at large for a term of four years commencing on January 1 next following his/her/their election.
A. 
The Office of County Executive shall be deemed vacant if the incumbent moves his/her/their residence from the County or he/she/they is, by death, physical or mental illness or otherwise, unable to continue to serve. Any vacancy in the office shall be filled in the manner prescribed by law for the election of County officers at the next general election occurring not less than 51 days after the occurrence of the vacancy.
B. 
During a vacancy in the Office of County Executive the Administrator shall serve as Acting County Executive until a successor has been elected. During the temporary absence or temporary disability of the County Executive, the Administrator shall serve as Acting County Executive. N.J.S.A. 40:41A-35.
C. 
In the event of a catastrophic event that renders the County Administrator unable to serve as the Acting County Executive, then the Deputy County Administrator shall serve as the Acting County Executive. In the event that the Deputy County Administrator is unable to serve as the Acting County Executive then the Chief of Staff to the County Executive shall serve as the Acting County Executive. In the event that the Chief of Staff is also unable to serve as the Acting County Executive, then the County Treasurer shall serve as Acting County Executive until which time an appropriate successor is named pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:41A-35 et seq.
The County Executive in the exercise of his/her/their office shall have and exercise all the power and duties now or hereafter conferred or imposed upon him/her/them by the Charter, or other applicable laws or acts of the Legislature. The County Executive in pursuing these duties:
A. 
Shall supervise, direct and control all County administrative departments and appoint all employees, officials and personnel, subject to or as otherwise provided in the Code, and/or appropriate law;
B. 
Shall require reports and examine the accounts, records and operations of any agency of County government;
C. 
Shall, at his/her/their discretion, order any agency under his/her/their jurisdiction as specified in the code to undertake any task for any other agency on a temporary basis if he/she/they deems it necessary for the proper and efficient administration of the County government;
D. 
Shall enforce the Charter, all general laws applicable to the County and all ordinances and resolutions of the County;
E. 
Shall supervise the care and custody of all County property, institutions and agencies;
F. 
Shall supervise the collection of revenues, audit and control all disbursements and expenditures and prepare a complete account of all transactions;
G. 
Shall execute all contracts, bonds or other instruments requiring the consent of the County;
H. 
Shall develop, install and maintain centralized budgeting, personnel and purchasing procedures as authorized by the code;
I. 
Shall assure that all terms and conditions, imposed in favor of the County or its inhabitants by any statute, franchise or other contract, are faithfully kept and performed;
J. 
Shall serve as an ex officio nonvoting member of all appointive bodies in County government;
K. 
In the event of a vacancy of any director or division chief, the County Executive may appoint an acting officer to fill the vacancy. Such acting appointment shall be for a period not to exceed 90 working days subject to any extension as agreed upon by the Board and the County Executive;
L. 
Shall determine the salaries of all County employees to the maximum extent permissible, not inconsistent with the New Jersey Constitution and applicable state laws;
M. 
Shall be solely responsible for all contacts with County employees with respect to all actions and communications regarding the administration of the County's government and provision of services, provided that the County Executive may delegate such responsibility, and provided further that this duty may not be delegated to the Board;
N. 
Shall have the authority to sue and be sued in any lawsuit involving the County; provided, however, that the County Executive shall be personally indemnified from any actions and from any costs taken or expended in the course of his/her official duties;
O. 
May order cessation of expenditures by any agency under his/her jurisdiction when necessitated by a revenue shortfall or when there is reason to believe that the agency is not using the funds for the purposes for which they were appropriated;
P. 
May represent the County's interest to the New Jersey Legislature, the United States Congress, or any other legislative or investigatory body the County Executive deems appropriate;
Q. 
May enter into emergency agreements with other counties or political subdivisions of the state in furtherance of his/her executive and administrative duties and powers;
R. 
May, with the advice and consent of the Board, enter into any agreement with other counties or political subdivisions of the state that he/she deems advisable to further the interests of the County, or its inhabitants;
S. 
Shall approve or disapprove all of the actions of any authority created by the County pursuant to P.L. 1960, c. 183 (N.J.S.A. 40:37A-45 et seq.) (Improvement Authority), P.L. 1957, c. 183 (N.J.S.A. 40:14B-1 et seq. (Utilities Authority), or N.J.S.A. 55:14A-1 et seq. (Housing Authority), by accepting or rejecting the minutes of meetings recording the actions of the authority. The minutes of every meeting of the authority shall be promptly delivered to the County Executive and County Clerk. No action taken at a meeting of an authority shall be effective until 10 days after the copy of the minutes shall have been delivered. If the Executive returns this copy within 10 days with a veto of all or any part of any action taken by the authority, that action shall be void. The veto powers in this subsection shall not affect in any way the covenants in any existing bond indentures of any authority, or any existing collective bargaining agreement, or any existing binding arbitration decision; and
T. 
May establish such offices, other than those listed in the code, as he/she/they deems necessary and proper to carry out his/her/their responsibilities pursuant to state law and this code.
The County Executive may be present and participate in discussions at all meetings of the Board and shall:
A. 
Report annually to the Board and to the people on the state of the County and the work of the previous year;
B. 
Recommend to the Board whatever action or programs he/she/they deems necessary for the improvement of the County and the welfare of its residents and in furtherance of this duty shall propose to the Board any ordinance he/she/they believes may benefit the County or its inhabitants;
C. 
From time to time, at his/her/their discretion, recommend any course of action or programs he/she/they deems necessary or desirable for the County to undertake;
D. 
Prepare and submit to the Board for its consideration and adoption an annual operating budget and a capital budget, establish the schedules and procedures to be followed by all County departments, offices and agencies in connection therewith and supervise and administer all phases of the budgetary process;
E. 
Review, analyze and forecast trends of County services and finances and programs of all boards, commissions, agencies and other County bodies and report and recommend thereon to the Board;
F. 
Negotiate contracts for the County subject to Board approvals;
G. 
Make recommendations concerning the nature and location of County improvements and execute improvements determined by the Board;
H. 
Exercise the power to review and approve or veto each ordinance of the Board as provided in the Charter and Article II of the chapter;
I. 
Appoint the Administrator or other official who shall be present at all Board meetings and who shall provide a constant and effective communication link between the Board and the County Executive; and
J. 
Provide the Board and its members with offices, equipment and other facilities for use in their legislative duties.
The County Executive shall:
A. 
Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:41A-37, with the advice and consent of the Board, appoint the Administrator, County Counsel, the heads of all departments and any division created within said departments, and the members of all County boards, commissions and authorities. The heads of all departments, divisions, offices and bureaus and their secretaries, except as specifically provided in the charter or this Code, shall be in the unclassified service and serve at the pleasure of the County Executive; and
B. 
Remove or suspend for a definite term, in his/her/their discretion, any officer in the unclassified service of the County over whose office the County Executive has power of appointment, subject to the provisions of the Charter and this article; and any officer or employee in the classified service subject to civil service provisions.
The County Executive may, in his/her/their discretion, delegate to a department head the power of appointment and removal of all departmental employees subject to civil service provisions where applicable. Any such delegation shall be in writing and shall be promptly filed with the Clerk of the Board.