The Presiding Officer shall possess the following powers and perform the following duties:

1.  To preside over all meetings of the full Legislature; call the Legislature to order, direct a call of the roll, and, except in the absence of a quorum, proceed to business in a manner prescribed by these rules;

2.  To preserve order and decorum;

3.  To execute on behalf of the Legislature contracts and/or contract amendments and other documents authorized by the County Legislature and to execute all contracts necessary for the day‑to‑day operation and administration of the County Legislature without additional Legislative authorization;

4.  To decide all questions of order, subject to appeal of the Legislature as hereinafter provided;

5.  To substitute any Member to perform the duties of the chair in the absence of the Deputy Presiding Officer;

6.  To recess meetings;

7.  If the Legislature is ready to go into Committee of the Whole, to name a Chairperson to preside over such committee;

8.  To declare a recess for lunch for a period of time determined by him or her;

9.  To be a voting member ex-officio of all Legislative committees and to receive notice of all meetings thereof;

10. To appoint and designate or terminate, within the budgetary appropriations, all officers and employees of the Legislature not required to be selected by these Rules, except as provided for in Rule 4 (E) for Legislative Aides and Legislative Secretaries assigned to a Legislative District Office;

11. To establish guidelines and criteria and approve the expenditure of funds in the budget of the Legislature for the printing and/or mailing of literature by members of the Legislature to their constituents within the appropriations therefore; provided, however, that no such literature shall be mailed at or delivered to any postal facility by such members during the period of forty-five (45) days immediately prior to a date of an  election in which such member is a candidate, whether such election is a special, primary, or runoff election. Nothing contained in this Rule shall apply to any mailing which is:

a.) A direct response to inquiries or request from persons to whom the matter is mailed;

b.) Addressed to colleagues in the Legislature or to government officials (whether Federal, State, or Local); or

c.)  Consisting entirely of news releases to the communications media;

12. To establish independent committees, boards, and commissions to report to the Presiding Officer and/or Legislature, and appoint or remove the members thereof;
13. To cancel public hearings for which the underlying Local Law or Charter Law has been withdrawn;

14. To automatically sponsor all legislation requesting licenses, franchises, or fare increases for ferry operators; and

15. Such other powers as may be set forth in more detail in these Rules or in state, federal, or local laws.

B.)  In the event of an absence from a full Legislative meeting of the Presiding Officer, the Deputy Presiding Officer shall preside. The Deputy Presiding Officer shall, in such event, exercise all the powers, duties and functions of the Presiding Officer at the meeting over which he or she is called to preside.

C.)  In the event of the absence from a full Legislative meeting of both the Presiding Officer and the Deputy Presiding Officer, the Presiding Officer shall designate in writing another member of the Legislature to preside, or in the event the Presiding Officer is unable to make such designation in writing then the Majority Conference Leader shall preside, or in the event that such person is absent, then the Minority Conference Leader shall preside. Such  person shall, in such event, exercise all the powers, duties and functions of the Presiding Officer at the meeting over which he or she is called to preside.

D.) In the event of a vacancy in the office of Presiding Officer, Deputy Presiding Officer, Clerk of the Legislature, Chief Deputy Clerk, Deputy Clerk, or Counsel; the submission of a written resignation by one of the persons holding such office regardless of its effective date; or a physical or mental disability which impairs such person from performing his or her duties of holding such office, such vacancy shall be filled at a regular meeting of the County Legislature within sixty (60) days after such vacancy or resignation shall occur. The person so elected shall serve in that capacity for the unexpired term of his or her predecessor.