The County Executive shall be responsible for the proper and efficient administration of such affairs of the County as are placed in the charge or under the jurisdiction and control of the County Executive under this Charter or by law. In addition to and not by way of limitation of the County Executive's general duties of supervision and management of the executive branch of the County government, the County Executive shall have the following express responsibilities, duties and powers:
(a) To supervise, direct and control, subject to law and the provisions of this Charter, the executive branch of the County and to appoint and remove the Chief Administrative Officer, Public Information Officer, Legislative Liaison Officer, Economic Development Officer, Planning and Zoning Officer, Administrative Hearing Officer, Director of Public Works, Director of Inspections and Permits, Director of Recreation and Parks, and Director of Aging;
(b) To appoint, subject to confirmation by resolution of the County Council, the County Attorney, Chief of Police, and Fire Chief;
(c) To present to the County Council the annual County budget in the manner and form hereinafter in this Charter provided;
(d) To communicate to the County Council at least once a year a general statement of the finances, government and affairs of the County, with a summary statement of the activities of the several departments and offices thereof;
(e) To present to the County Council from time to time such other information concerning the business and affairs of the County as the County Executive may deem necessary, or as the County Council by resolution may request, and to recommend such measures for legislative action as the County Executive may deem to be in the best interests of the County;
(f) To assure that the County officers, boards, agencies, commissions, departments and employees faithfully perform their duties;
(g) To assure that the laws of the State pertaining to the affairs, good order and government of the County, and the acts, resolutions, ordinances and public local laws of the County are duly executed and enforced within the County;
(h) To make or cause to be made any study or investigation concerning the operation of the executive branch, the development of a legislative program, the means of financing County requirements, the social and economic development of the County, including but not limited to investigations of the affairs, functions, acts, methods, personnel or efficiency of any department, office or officer under the County Executive’s jurisdiction;
(i) To veto, in the County Executive’s discretion, ordinances of the County Council, in the manner, at the times and subject to the limitations of this Charter and to return the same to the Council with the County Executive’s reasons therefor;
(j) Unless otherwise specified in this Charter, to appoint and to remove for cause the members of all boards, commissions, authorities and corporations created in or pursuant to this Charter or by law, except the County Board of Appeals and the Fire Advisory Board;
(k) To serve on all boards and commissions on which State law requires a County Commissioner to serve and on all boards and commissions for which State or County law requires the County Executive to serve, however, when permitted by law, the County Executive may designate someone else to serve in the County Executive's place;
(l) To sign or cause to be signed on the County's behalf all deeds, contracts and other instruments and to affix the County seal thereto unless otherwise authorized by law or by this Charter;
(m) Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Charter, to issue, or cause to be issued, all executive orders, directives, licenses and permits;
(n) To prepare and issue, or cause to be prepared and issued rules and regulations to carry out the provisions of this Charter that relate to the functions of the Executive Branch, provided that before taking effect, all such rules and regulations, other than those affecting the internal operating procedures of the executive branch of the County government, shall be approved by the County Council by ordinance;
(o) To appoint pursuant to Article VIII of this Charter a Secretary to the County Executive, who shall have and may exercise all powers and functions heretofore conferred on the Clerk of the Board of County Commissioners, not otherwise fixed by this Charter, including but not limited to the power to attest the signatures of all County officials;
(p) To perform such other executive duties as may be prescribed by this Charter or required by ordinance of the County Council not inconsistent with this Charter or as may be necessarily implied from the powers and duties herein specified.
(Bill No. 94-80; Bill No. 96-80; Bill No. 12-82; Bill No. 72-82; Res. No. 69-86; Res. No. 39-88; Res. No. 20-06; Res. No. 31-16; Res. No. 37-19; Res. No. 30-22)
Editor's note – The 2006 amendment deleted provisions relating to the Department of Utilities that became obsolete as a result of a reorganization ordinance enacted in 1993 by the County Council pursuant to Sec. 503 of the Charter.