New York Consolidated Laws, General Municipal Law - GMU § 800. Definitions

1. “Chief fiscal officer” means a comptroller, commissioner of finance, director of finance or other officer possessing similar powers and duties, except that in a school district the term shall not mean a member of the board of education or a trustee thereof.

2. “Contract” means any claim, account or demand against or agreement with a municipality, express or implied, and shall include the designation of a depository of public funds and the designation of a newspaper, including but not limited to an official newspaper, for the publication of any notice, resolution, ordinance, or other proceeding where such publication is required or authorized by law.

3. “Interest” means a direct or indirect pecuniary or material benefit accruing to a municipal officer or employee as the result of a contract with the municipality which such officer or employee serves.  For the purposes of this article a municipal officer or employee shall be deemed to have an interest in the contract of (a) his spouse, minor children and dependents, except a contract of employment with the municipality which such officer or employee serves, (b) a firm, partnership or association of which such officer or employee is a member or employee, (c) a corporation of which such officer or employee is an officer, director or employee and (d) a corporation any stock of which is owned or controlled directly or indirectly by such officer or employee.

4. “Municipality” means a county, city, town, village, school district, consolidated health district, county vocational education and extension board, public library, board of cooperative educational services, urban renewal agency, a joint water works system established pursuant to chapter six hundred fifty-four of the laws of nineteen hundred twenty-seven, or a town or county improvement district, district corporation, or other district or a joint service established for the purpose of carrying on, performing or financing one or more improvements or services intended to benefit the health, welfare, safety or convenience of the inhabitants of such governmental units or to benefit the real property within such units, an industrial development agency but shall have no application to a city having a population of one million or more or to a county, school district, or other public agency or facility therein.

5. “Municipal officer or employee” means an officer or employee of a municipality, whether paid or unpaid, including members of any administrative board, commission or other agency thereof and in the case of a county, shall be deemed to also include any officer or employee paid from county funds.  No person shall be deemed to be a municipal officer or employee solely by reason of being a volunteer firefighter or civil defense volunteer, except a fire chief or assistant fire chief.

6. “Treasurer” means a county treasurer, city treasurer, town supervisor, village treasurer, school district treasurer, fire district treasurer, improvement district treasurer, president of a board of health of a consolidated health district, county vocational educational and extension board treasurer, treasurer of a board of cooperative educational services, public general hospital treasurer, or other officer possessing similar powers and duties.