A.
There shall be a Department of Social Services
under the direction of a Commissioner of Social Services, who shall
be appointed by the County Executive, subject to confirmation by the
County Legislature. He or she shall be appointed on the basis of his
or her professional experience and other qualifications for the responsibilities
of his or her office. The Commissioner shall be appointed
in accordance with the provisions of § 116 of the Social
Service Law of the State of New York or other provisions of law relating
to the appointment of such commissioner. He or she shall also be a
resident of Ulster County. He or she shall be directly responsible
to and serve at the pleasure of the County Executive, except that
if the Commissioner of Social Services is appointed for a fixed term
of years pursuant to a provision of state law, he or she may only
be removed for cause, after written notice of charges and an opportunity
to be heard.
B.
Powers and duties. Except as may otherwise
be provided in the Charter, the Commissioner shall manage and/or supervise
all social services institutions and facilities owned or operated
by the County. In addition, he or she shall have all the powers and
perform all the duties conferred or imposed by the New York State
Social Services Law or any other law upon a county commissioner of
social services and perform such other related duties required by
the County Executive or County Legislature.
C.
Reports. On or before March 1 of each year, the Commissioner
of Social Services shall make an annual report to the County Legislature
and County Executive for the immediately preceding calendar year,
covering generally the work of the department. The Commissioner shall
make such other reports at such times as may be required by the County
Legislature, County Executive or any applicable law. Copies of all
reports shall be filed with the Clerk of the County Legislature and
the County Executive.
D.
Accounting for moneys. All moneys to which the Social
Services Department may be entitled under and by virtue of the laws
of the State of New York, or which the Commissioner may receive for
services performed by his or her department, shall belong to said
department and shall be collected by such Commissioner, accounted
for and paid over to the Commissioner of Finance by a written statement
within 10 days after the expiration of each month. Each monthly statement
shall have attached thereto a certification by said Commissioner to
the effect that the same is in all respects a full and true statement
of all such moneys received by him or her for the preceding month.
The Commissioner of Social Services shall pay to the Commissioner
of Finance all moneys received by him or her which are reportable
to or receivable by the County as soon as practicable or as may be
required by the Commissioner of Finance, but in no event less than
once weekly.
A.
The Commissioner of Social Services shall have the
power to appoint one or more Deputy Commissioners of Social Services,
within the limits of appropriations therefor. Every appointment shall
be in writing and filed in the Office of the County Clerk and the
Clerk of the Legislature.
B.
The term of office of any deputy not classified as
competitive under the County's civil service rules, appointed hereunder,
shall coincide with that of the Commissioner of Social Services, provided
that such appointment may be revoked at any time by the Commissioner
by written revocation filed with the County Clerk. Positions of Deputy
Commissioner may be in the exempt class of civil service; or in the
alternative, the deputy may also be an additional title which may
be designated by the Commissioner for a department staff member.
C.
Deputy Commissioners shall perform such duties pertaining
to the office of the Department of Social Services as the Commissioner
may direct and shall act generally for and in such place of the Commissioner
and perform such other and further duties as the Commissioner may
assign.
D.
The designation of an order of succession for the
position of Deputy Commissioner shall be filed with the County Clerk
and the Clerk of the County Legislature and may be revoked at any
time by the Commissioner filing a new written designation of order
of succession.
The Commissioner of Social Services, and such
of his or her deputies, officers and employees as the County Legislature
or the County Executive shall require, shall file a surety bond to
the County in a sum fixed by the County Legislature conditioned for
the faithful performance of his or her duties. Such bond shall be
approved as to form by the County Attorney and as to sufficiency of
surety by the County Executive, and shall be filed with the County
Clerk. It shall be a charge on the County.
