27. Continuity of local governments. 1. Every county, except those wholly contained within a city, every city, every town and every village shall have power to provide by local law, and every other public corporation, district corporation or public benefit corporation shall have power to provide by resolution, for its continuity and that of its elective and appointive officers, including members of its legislative or governing body when, in the event of a disaster and the emergency conditions caused thereby, any of such officers is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office or is absent from the political subdivision. In any such local law or resolution, provision may be made that the removal of a disability or the termination of an absence from the political subdivision of an officer higher on a list or order of succession provided therein to an office shall not terminate the service in such office of an individual lower on such list or order of succession who is temporarily filling such office. Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law or city or village charter, a local law or resolution adopted pursuant to this section may be made effective without approval at a mandatory or permissive referendum but in no case shall such local law or resolution become effective until one certified copy thereof has been filed with the clerk of the political subdivision or other appropriate official designated for such purpose by the respective legislative or governing body, one certified copy thereof has been filed in the office of the state comptroller and three certified copies thereof have been filed in the office of the secretary of state.
No provision of this subdivision shall be construed or interpreted as affecting the validity of any ordinance, local law or resolution enacted prior to April first, nineteen hundred seventy-nine or actions taken thereunder by the government of any county, city, town or village.
2. The provisions of this section shall not be applicable in any case where the continuity of the government of a political subdivision or that of any of its elective or appointive officers is otherwise provided for by or pursuant to law.
3. This section shall be construed liberally. The powers herein granted shall be in addition to and not in substitution of any power granted, procedure provided or provision made in any other law.
Last modified: February 3, 2019