New York Consolidated Laws, Municipal Home Rule Law - MHR § 2. Definitions

1. “Charter.” A state statute or a local law which establishes or continues a specific county, city or village as a municipal corporation or body politic and includes the fundamental provisions defining, extending or limiting its corporate powers or affecting the framework of its government.

2. “Charter amendment.” A new charter or any change in an existing charter presented as such under authority of this chapter or any state statute or charter. A charter amendment may be of any extent and may deal with any number of subjects.

3. “Clerk.” The clerk of the board of supervisors of a county, the clerk of a city, town or village or, if there be no officer so designated, an officer exercising corresponding duties.

4. “Elective chief executive officer.” The chief executive officer of a county elected on a county-wide basis or if there be none the chairman of the board of supervisors, the mayor of a city or village or the supervisor of a town, where such officer is vested with power to approve or veto local laws or ordinances.

5. “General law.” A state statute which in terms and in effect applies alike to all counties, all counties other than those wholly included within a city, all cities, all towns or all villages.

6. “Law.” A state statute, charter or local law.

7. “Legislative body.” The board of supervisors, board of aldermen, common council, council, commission, town board, board of trustees or other elective governing board or body now or hereafter vested by state statute, charter or other law with jurisdiction to initiate and adopt local laws or ordinances, whether or not such local laws or ordinances require the approval of the elective chief executive officer or other official or body to become effective.

8. “Local government.” A county, city, town or village.

9. “Local law.” A law (a) adopted pursuant to this chapter or to other authorization of a state statute or charter by the legislative body of a local government, or (b) proposed by a charter commission or by petition, and ratified by popular vote, as provided in article four of this chapter or as provided in a state statute, charter or local law; but shall not mean or include an ordinance, resolution or other similar act of the legislative body or of any other board or body.

10. “New charter.” A charter which supersedes or repeals an existing charter in its entirety or in the manner provided in subdivision four or subdivision five of section thirty-six of this chapter.

11. “Public corporation.” A municipal corporation, a district corporation or a public benefit corporation as defined in section three of the general corporation law.  1

12. “Special law.” A state statute which in terms and in effect applies to one or more, but not all, counties, counties other than those wholly included within a city, cities, towns or villages.