The County Legislature shall be the elected governing body of Sullivan County which shall perform the legislative, appropriating, policy determining and administrative functions as provided for in the County Law.
The County Legislature shall be composed of the elected legislators elected from single-member legislative districts, each member elected for a term of four years and having one vote. Members of the Legislature shall be elected from the districts established in § C2.01 of the Sullivan County Charter.
A. 
The County Legislature shall exercise all the powers and duties now or hereafter conferred or imposed by state law upon a Board of Supervisors and/or a County Legislature of a county and all powers and duties necessarily implied or incidental thereto, and all the powers assigned to it by the Sullivan County Charter, and restricted as therein provided. Among such powers and duties, but not by way of limitation, it shall:
(1) 
Make appropriations, levy taxes, incur indebtedness and adopt the County budget.
(2) 
Enact, amend or repeal this Administrative Code, local laws, legalizing acts or resolutions; and provide for the administrative implementation thereof.
(3) 
Adopt, by resolution, all necessary rules and regulations for its own conduct and procedure.
(4) 
By local law, create, alter, combine or abolish administrative units of County government not headed by elected officers or officers designated in the Sullivan County Charter, establishing or abolishing positions of employment in connection therewith.
(5) 
Appoint heads of units of County government, except those officers who are required to be elected and/or whose appointment is otherwise provided for by law, by the Sullivan County Charter or by this Administrative Code.
(6) 
Establish or abolish positions of employment.
(7) 
Fix, by resolution, the maximum compensation of all County officers and employees, except members of the judiciary and the District Attorney.
(8) 
Fix, by resolution, the compensation to be paid from County funds to persons rendering service to or in behalf of, but who are not officers or employees of, the County.
(9) 
Adopt such standard rules and regulations regarding County employment as it may deem appropriate.
(10) 
Fix the amount of bonds of officers and employees paid from County funds as hereinafter provided.
(11) 
Authorize contracts for goods and services on behalf of the County.
(12) 
Conduct studies and investigations in furtherance of its legislative functions, and in connection therewith obtain and employ professional and technical advice, appoint citizens committees, commissions and boards, subpoena witnesses, administer oaths and require the production of books, papers and other evidence necessary or material to such studies or investigations.
(13) 
Legalize and validate by legalizing any act had or taken in connection with a lawful municipal purpose by a governing board or other body, office, agency or unit of a local municipality wholly within the County in the manner provided in the County Law.
B. 
A member of the County Legislature of the County of Sullivan may be appointed by the County Legislature of Sullivan County to any board or committee, the members of which are public officers.
The County Legislature at its organizational meeting held only on January 1 of each and every even-numbered year following the election of the Legislators, or as soon thereafter as is practical, shall elect from its membership a Chairman who shall serve until replaced.
Except as may otherwise be provided in this Administrative Code, the Chair of the County Legislature shall have all the powers and duties now or hereafter conferred or imposed upon a Chair of a County Legislature by law. Among such powers and duties, but not by way of limitation, the Chair shall:
A. 
Determine in consultation with the County Manager what officer shall perform a particular power or duty not clearly defined herein or by law.
B. 
Execute and deliver documents and contracts authorized by law and by the County Legislature, which are not within the powers of the County Manager as described in § C3.06J of the Sullivan County Charter.
C. 
Perform such other administrative duties as the Legislature determines to be necessary.
The County Legislature, within the time provided for in the Sullivan County Charter to elect a Chairman, shall elect a Vice Chairman, by majority vote, and may elect other officers as it deems required, all of whom shall serve until replaced. The Vice Chairman shall, in the absence of the Chairman, preside over each duly constituted meeting of the Legislature, have and exercise all of the powers and duties of the Chairman at any meeting over which the Vice Chairman is called to preside, and, except as herein limited, shall have and exercise those additional powers and duties authorized by resolution of the Legislature, provided that such resolution shall specify the dates during which the Vice Chairman may exercise such powers and duties, and that the powers and duties authorized to the Vice Chairman shall not be exercised by the Chairman during the designated time period. The Vice Chairman shall at no time appoint a person to an office or position of employment with the County, nor appoint the Chairman or members of any committee of the Legislature. The Vice Chairman may, in the absence of the Chairman from the County, or upon the Chairman's authorization, execute all agreements on behalf of the County which the Legislature authorized the Chairman to execute.
In the event of the death, resignation or disability of the Chairman, the Vice Chairman shall act as Chairman until a new Chairman is elected. In the event of the death, resignation or disability of the Vice Chairman or any other officers that may have been elected, the Legislature shall elect a replacement Vice Chairman and may elect replacements for the other officers. The election to replace the Chairman, Vice Chairman or other officers contemplated herein shall be held at the next regular meeting of the County Legislature or sooner at a special or emergency meeting if desired. The degree of disability of any officer must be such so as to render that person's ability to perform impractical in order to justify a replacement by the Legislature.
Committees are the basis for the organization of administrative units and functions of government as presented in this Administrative Code. Within 20 days after his or her election, the Chair of the County Legislature shall appoint from among the members of the Legislature the Chairs and members of the standing committees, to wit: the Management and Budget, Capital Planning and Budgeting Committee; the Government Services Committee; the Health and Family Services Committee; the Human Resources Committee; the Planning, Real Property and Economic Development Committee; the Public Safety & Law Enforcement Committee; the Public Works Committee; the ; ; and the Veterans Committee. In the case of a newly created committee, the Chair and members shall be appointed by the Chair of the County Legislature within 20 days after the creation of such new committee. In addition, the Chair of the Legislature may appoint members to new and existing special committees as may be created by the Legislature. The Chair of the County Legislature shall also fill any and all vacancies on any committee within 20 days of the creation of such vacancy. All committees shall meet at the call of the Chair and/or pursuant to the rules of the Legislature.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § A2-9, Committees of County Legislature; jurisdiction, powers and duties, and § A2-10, Executive Committees of County Legislature, were repealed 2-15-2024 by L.L. No. 1-2024.
There shall be a Clerk and Deputy Clerk to the County Legislature. The Clerk shall be appointed by the Legislature to serve at its pleasure and until a successor is appointed and has qualified. The Deputy Clerk shall be appointed by the Clerk to the County Legislature. In addition to duties prescribed by state law, the Clerk or Deputy shall serve as secretary to all committees of the Legislature and perform other duties as assigned by the Legislature.