There shall be elected from the County at large a County Clerk,
whose term of office shall begin with the first day of January next
following election to the position and shall be for four years as
permitted by state legislation. At the time of nomination and election,
and throughout the term of office, the County Clerk shall be and remain
a qualified elector of the County.
The County Clerk shall have the power to appoint such Deputy
County Clerks, assistants, and employees of the office as may be necessary
to perform the duties of the office of County Clerk and as shall be
authorized by the Tompkins County Legislature. All Deputy County Clerks,
assistants, and employees shall be directly responsible to the County
Clerk.
The County Clerk shall be the official registrar of the County,
and except as otherwise provided in this Charter, shall have all the
powers and perform all the duties now or hereafter conferred or imposed
by law upon county clerks, and perform such other and related non-conflicting
duties as may be required by the Tompkins County Legislature.
The County Clerk shall provide at the expense of the County
all books, files, and other necessary equipment for the filing, recording,
and depositing of documents, maps, papers in actions, and special
proceedings of both civil and criminal nature, judgment and lien dockets,
and books for the indexing of the same as directed or authorized by
law.
The County Clerk, pursuant to the Vehicle and Traffic Law, shall
maintain an office of motor vehicles.
The County Clerk shall designate a person or persons who, in
addition to other assigned duties, shall receive all conveyances of
title for recording. Said person or persons shall have the primary
responsibility for the determination that all additional forms required
by law have been completed.
It shall be the responsibility of the County Clerk to advise
and assist the Tompkins County Legislature in all matters concerning
the preservation, storage, reduction, reproduction, administration,
and disposal of County records. In furtherance of this, the County
Clerk shall consult with the Director of Information Technology Services
to meet records retention requirements.
The Seal of the County of Tompkins shall be the Seal of the
County Clerk, and the County Clerk shall affix or imprint such Seal
upon any and all instruments requiring the same.