BILL NO A02288
SAME AS SAME AS UNI. S02122
SPONSOR Paulin
COSPNSR
MLTSPNSR
Amd S175, Town L
Relates to the election of fire district officers in the town of Eastchester,
Westchester County.
BILL NUMBER:A2288
TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the town law, in relation to the
election of fire district officers in the town of Eastchester
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL: To hold the annual fire district
election for the town of Eastchester on the Tuesday next succeeding
the first Monday in November.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS: Section one amends subdivision 1 of
section 175 of the town law to provide that the town of Eastchester
shall hold its annual fire district election on the Tuesday next
succeeding the first Monday in November.
Section two provides the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION: The Eastchester Fire District holds elections of fire
officers in December resulting in very low voter turnout. On average
less than 5% of registered voters cast a vote. There are also no
absentee ballots allowed in the December special election, which means
homebound individuals are unable to vote.
In addition, holding the election at the same time as the November
general election would eliminate the costs of holding a separate fire
district election, potentially resulting in savings to taxpayers.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
A.9609, 2012 referred to local governments.
FISCAL IMPLICATION: None to the state.
EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect on the first of January
next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
S. 2122 A. 2288
2013-2014 Regular Sessions
S E N A T E - A S S E M B L Y
January 11, 2013
___________
IN SENATE -- Introduced by Sen. LATIMER -- read twice and ordered print-
ed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Local Govern-
ment
IN ASSEMBLY -- Introduced by M. of A. PAULIN -- read once and referred
to the Committee on Local Governments
AN ACT to amend the town law, in relation to the election of fire
district officers in the town of Eastchester
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 175 of the town law, as amended by
2 chapter 334 of the laws of 2011, is amended to read as follows:
3 1. An annual election shall be held in each fire district on the
4 second Tuesday in December, except that in the Ocean Bay Park fire
5 district, the Lonelyville fire district, the Davis Park fire district,
6 the Cherry Grove fire district, the Fair Harbor fire district and the
7 Fire Island Pines fire district, Suffolk county, such annual election
8 shall be held on the second Tuesday in July, except that in the town of
9 Salisbury, Herkimer county, AND THE TOWN OF EASTCHESTER, WESTCHESTER
10 COUNTY, such annual election shall be held on the Tuesday next succeed-
11 ing the first Monday in November from six o'clock in the morning until
12 nine o'clock in the evening and except that in the Belfast fire
13 district, Allegany county, such annual election shall be held on the
14 first Tuesday in December. The board of fire commissioners shall give
15 notice thereof by the publication of a notice once in one or more news-
16 papers having a general circulation in the district. The first publica-
17 tion of such notice shall be not less than twenty-seven days and not
18 more than thirty-four days prior to the date of such election. Such
19 notice shall specify the time when and the place where such election
20 will be held, the officers to be elected thereat and their terms of
21 office, and the hours during which the polls will be open for the
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05063-01-3
S. 2122 2 A. 2288
1 receipt of ballots. The secretary of such fire district shall prepare
2 the ballots for all elections of fire district officers and the polls
3 shall remain open for the receipt thereof at all elections of fire
4 district officers from six o'clock in the evening until nine o'clock in
5 the evening and such additional consecutive hours prior thereto as the
6 board of fire commissioners of such district may have determined and
7 specified in the notice thereof. The board of fire commissioners shall
8 designate a resident fire district elector, who shall be a registered
9 voter of the town, to act as chairman of any election of said district
10 and shall designate not less than two nor more than four resident fire
11 district electors, who shall be registered voters of the town to act as
12 election inspectors and ballot clerks at such elections. No elective
13 officer of the fire district shall serve as such chairman or as an
14 election inspector or ballot clerk. The board of fire commissioners may
15 adopt a resolution providing that such chairman, election inspectors and
16 ballot clerks shall be paid for their respective services at any such
17 annual election or at any special election of the fire district. Such
18 resolution, if adopted, shall fix the amount of such compensation, as
19 follows: if the hours during which the polls will be open for the
20 receipt of ballots are from six o'clock in the evening until nine
21 o'clock in the evening, a sum not to exceed thirty-five dollars for each
22 such official; if additional consecutive hours prior to six o'clock in
23 the evening are determined and specified in the notice of election, a
24 sum not to exceed fifty dollars for each such official.
25 S 2. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
26 ing the date on which it shall have become a law.
