Section 20. Construction  


Latest version.
  • 1.  Where a power granted by this statute relates
      to the property, affairs  or  government  of  a  local  government,  its
      inclusion  herein  shall not be deemed to imply that the legislature has
      construed such power  as  not  relating  to  the  property,  affairs  or
      government of such local government or as restricting the powers of such
      local  government  in relation to its property, affairs or government to
      those powers included herein.
        2. Nothing in this statute shall operate to restrict the meaning of or
      diminish or impair any power  granted  to  a  local  government  by  the
      constitution  or  by  any  other law; nor shall the failure to include a
      power of a local government in this  statute  operate  to  restrict  the
      meaning of or diminish or impair such power.
        3.  No  power  granted  in  this  statute  shall  be  deemed repealed,
      diminished, impaired or suspended by the enactment of any subsequent act
      of the legislature, unless such act shall be enacted and  re-enacted  as
      prescribed in paragraph one of subdivision (b) of section two of article
      nine  of  the constitution and section twelve of this statute and unless
      such act shall contain a specific reference to this statute.
        4. If any clause, sentence, paragraph, section or part of this statute
      shall be adjudged by any court of competent jurisdiction to be  invalid,
      such  judgment  shall  not  affect,  impair  or invalidate the remainder
      thereof, but shall be confined in its operation to the clause, sentence,
      paragraph, section or part thereof directly involved in the  controversy
      in which such judgment shall have been rendered.
        5.  Powers  granted  to  local  governments  by  this statute shall be
      liberally construed.
        6. This chapter shall not affect or  impair  section  sixteen  hundred
      seven  of  chapter  eight  hundred  seventy-nine of the laws of nineteen
      hundred thirty-six.