Local Law no.4 of 2013 A LOCAL LAW TO AMEND ARTICLE 4 OF THE PUTNAM COUNTY CHARTER ENTITLED “DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE’

County of Putnam
Local Law #4 of 2013
(Passed at the March 6, 2013 Regular Meeting)
A LOCAL LAW TO AMEND ARTICLE 4 OF THE PUTNAM COUNTY CHARTER ENTITLED
“DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE”.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the County of Putnam as follows:
Section 1.
Article 4 of the Putnam County Charter is hereby amended to read as follows:
ARTICLE 4, Department of Finance
§ 4.01. Department of Finance; Commissioner. [Amended 12-20-2007 by L.L. No. 1-2008;
12-27-2010 by L.L. No. 6-2011]
(a)There shall be a Department of Finance, headed by a Commissioner of Finance who
shall be appointed by the County Executive, subject to a majority confirmation by the
County Legislature. The Commissioner of Finance shall be deemed qualified for the
position provided he/she has one of the following: licensure as a Certified Public
Accountant (CPA), certification as Certified Public Finance Officer (CPFO), or a
Master Business Administration (MBA) degree. The commissioner of finance shall be
appointed on the basis of his or her knowledge of accounting and financial matters
and his or her experience in financial administration. He or she shall serve at the
pleasure of the County Executive and have the authority to appoint the staff that will
be employed in this department.
(b) The Commissioner of Finance and all full-time managerial employees in the
department shall serve on a full-time basis and shall not engage in any private
practice nor be employed in their field of expertise with the County by any private or
other governmental entity.
§ 4.02. Commissioner of Finance: Powers and duties.
The commissioner of Finance shall be the chief fiscal officer of the County and shall
have charge of the administration of its financial affairs except as otherwise provided in
this Charter. The Commissioner of Finance shall:
(a) Collect, receive, have custody of, deposit, invest and disburse all fees, revenues and
other funds of the County or for which the county is responsible, in accordance with
law;
(b) Execute all the duties performed by a County Treasurer in relation to the collection of
taxes and other revenues and have all of the powers and perform all of the duties
conferred or imposed by law upon a County Treasurer;
(c) Assist the County Executive in the preparation and administration of the county
budget;
(d)Supervise the director of the Division of Real Property Tax Services;
(e)Borrow money in the name of the County as authorized by the County Legislature;
(f)
(1)Submit an unaudited annual report to the County Legislature on or before the
first day of March of each year, and any other regular or special financial
statements to the County Executive and to the county Legislature as they may
require;
(2)Submit an annual audited report as required by the New York State Department
of Audit and Control to that department and to the County Legislature on or before
the last day of the automatic extension period, and any other regular or special
financial statements to the county Executive and the County Legislature as they
may require;
(3)Submit such other reports as may be required by law;
(g)Maintain the books of accounts of the County;
(h)Prescribe approved methods and forms for financial accounting and records for all
County departments and administrative agencies;
(i)Submit annually to the County Executive proposed County tax equalization rates
consistent with standards prescribed by the State Legislature;
(j)Keep records of appropriations, encumbrances and expenditures and prescribe
approved methods of accounting for County offices and administrative agencies;
(k)Procure statement from all depositories of County funds and funds for which the
County is responsible and reconcile such statements with the County accounts;
(l)Subject to the requirements of the Civil Service Law, certify the correctness of payrolls
for the payment of salaries of officers and employees paid from County funds.
§4.03. The Division of Real Property Tax Services; Director.
(a)There shall be within the Department of Finance, an independent division of Real
Property Tax Services which shall be headed by a Director of Real Property Tax
Services, who shall be appointed by the County Executive subject to confirmation by
the Legislature. The Director of Real Property Tax Services shall be appointed for a
six year term in accordance with the New York State Real Property Tax Law. He or
she shall serve at the pleasure of the County Executive, unless provided otherwise by
law and shall be supervised by the Commissioner of Finance.
(b)The Director of Real Property Tax Services shall be chosen on the basis of his or her
knowledge of the principles and methods relating to the assessment of real property
and of his or her executive and administrative experience. At the time of his or her
appointment, and throughout his or her term of office, he or she shall meet the
minimum qualifications and standards and shall complete such courses of training
and education as prescribed by the State of New York for County directors of real
property tax services agencies pursuant to Article 15-A of the New York State Real
Property Tax Law, and any other applicable law.
(c)The Director of Real Property Tax Services shall exercise all the powers and perform
all the duties of a County Director of Real Property Tax Services Agencies as
provided by Article 15-A of the New York Stated Real Property Tax Law or other
applicable law, including but not limited to ascertaining, spreading, entering and
extending taxes levied by the County Legislature for all State, County, Town and
Special Districts’ purposes. Preparing tax rolls and issuing tax bills for those taxes,
performing such other and related duties as may be required by the County Executive
and performing tall the duties heretofore or hereafter conferred or imposed by law.
Section 2.
This Local Law shall take effect forty-five (45) days after its adoption, subject to
referendum on petition in accordance with the provisions of Section 24 of the New York
State Municipal Home Rule Law.