Sec. 1010. Definitions and rules of construction.
   As used in this Charter:
   (a)   The word "law" shall be construed as including all acts, ordinances, public local laws and other legislative acts of the County Council, all ordinances and resolutions of the County Commissioners not hereby or hereafter amended or repealed, and all public general laws and public local laws of the General Assembly in effect from time to time after the adoption of this Charter, whenever such construction would be reasonable.
   (b)   The term "The Sanitary Commission Act" whenever used in this Charter shall mean Chapter 22, titled "Waters and Sewers" of the Anne Arundel County Code (1957 Edition as amended and supplemented).
   (c)   The words "shall" and "must" shall be construed as mandatory and the word may" shall be construed as permissive.
   (d)   Whenever in this Charter the masculine gender is used, such words shall be construed to include any and all gender identities, except where such construction would be absurd or unreasonable.
   (e)   The word “person” shall include the words “corporation”, “partnership” and “association”, unless such a construction would be unreasonable.
   (f)   The word “officer” shall include the word “Council member”.
   (g)   The words “hereafter” and “heretofore” shall refer to the effective date of this Charter, unless such a construction would be unreasonable.
   (h)   The word “State” shall mean the State of Maryland.
   (i)   The term “operative date” when used in this Charter shall mean that date on which the majority of the members of the first elected County Council and the first elected County Executive qualify and assume the duties of their respective offices.
   (j)   The term “legislative session-day” shall refer to one of forty-five days specified in Section 3 of Article XI [XI-A] of the Constitution on which the County Council may convene for the purpose of enacting legislation.
(Res. No. 30-22)