Establishes a procedure for the creation of new counties; outlines population and area requirements; requires a feasibility study, petition and referendum; makes related provisions.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
9567
IN ASSEMBLY
January 14, 2026
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SOLAGES -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Local Governments
AN ACT to amend the county law, in relation to establishing a procedure
for the creation of new counties
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Legislative findings. It is hereby found by the legislature
2 that section 2 of article 9 of the state constitution provides that the
3 legislature shall provide for the creation and organization of local
4 governments in the state of New York. The state has established proce-
5 dures for the creation of villages, towns, and for municipal annexation.
6 However, it has not established procedures for the creation of counties.
7 The legislature is committed to the establishment of local government
8 that is more cost effective, more efficient, and more responsive to the
9 needs and desires of those residents being served. Therefore, the legis-
10 lature finds that it is in the best interests of the state of New York
11 to establish a procedure for the creation of new counties where it is
12 feasible and in the best interest of the governed. This legislation
13 would create such a procedure.
14 § 2. The county law is amended by adding a new article 1-A to read as
15 follows:
16 ARTICLE 1-A
17 CREATION OF NEW COUNTIES
18 Section 10. Population and area requirements.
19 11. Feasibility study.
20 12. Petition.
21 13. Filing petition and objections; determination.
22 14. Decision of the state comptroller.
23 15. Referendum.
24 16. Effective date; transition period.
25 17. Disposition of property.
26 18. Assumption of debt.
27 19. Miscellaneous provisions.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06000-01-5
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1 § 10. Population and area requirements. 1. A territory containing a
2 population of at least one hundred thousand inhabitants, as determined
3 by the most recent federal census, may be established as a county under
4 this article. Such territory shall also have an area of at least one
5 hundred square miles.
6 2. Such territory shall be contiguous and all counties affected by a
7 petition pursuant to this article shall have contiguous boundaries.
8 3. Such territory shall not divide the territory of any existing
9 cities, towns or villages.
10 § 11. Feasibility study. Before a petition to become a county may be
11 filed under section twelve of this article, a feasibility study shall
12 first be prepared. Such feasibility study shall include the following:
13 1. A proposed operating budget for the territory to be the proposed
14 county;
15 2. A proposed capital budget for the territory to be the proposed
16 county;
17 3. A proposal for the division of assets and liabilities between the
18 affected counties;
19 4. The property tax impact on the proposed county and the remaining
20 county over at least a five year period; and
21 5. An executive summary of such financial impact statement, including
22 the estimated real property tax impact for the territory to be the
23 proposed county and the remaining area of the remaining county.
24 § 12. Petition. 1. A proceeding to create a new county shall commence
25 with a petition.
26 2. A petition to create a new county shall be signed by a number equal
27 to at least ten per centum of the total vote cast for governor in the
28 territory proposed to become a county in the last gubernatorial
29 election.
30 3. Only qualified electors for a general election in such territory
31 shall be eligible to sign the petition.
32 4. The petition to create a new county shall contain the following
33 information:
34 (a) The name of the proposed county;
35 (b) The county seat of the proposed county;
36 (c) A statement that the territory proposed to be the new county
37 contains at least one hundred thousand inhabitants and at least one
38 hundred square miles;
39 (d) A map showing the boundaries of the proposed county; and
40 (e) A designation of at least one but not more than three persons,
41 giving full names and addresses, on whom and at which addresses all
42 papers required to be served in connection with the proceeding to create
43 the new county, shall be served.
44 5. The signatures to the petition shall be subscribed on a separate
45 page or pages following the information outlined in subdivision four of
46 this section.
47 6. Each signature page shall be prefaced by a statement of the peti-
48 tioners' familiarity with the contents and purpose of the petition, and
49 the boundaries of the territory to be included in the new county.
50 7. Following each signature, there shall be set forth, not necessarily
51 by the signer, the signer's address, including street name and number,
52 if any, and town.
53 8. The petition must also be authenticated as to all the signatures
54 upon each separate sheet by appending at the bottom of each sheet, an
55 affidavit of a witness as to the subscription thereof, substantially as
56 follows: STATE OF NEW YORK
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1 ss.: COUNTY OF ...................(name of witness) being duly sworn,
2 says: I reside at .................., in the ............. of
3 ................ (fill in residence) in the state of New York; I know
4 each of the persons whose names are subscribed to the above sheet having
5 .............. (fill in number) signatures; and each of them subscribed
6 the same in my presence.
7 ........................
8 (Signature of witness.) Sworn to before me, this ..... day of
9 ............, 20.... .................... (official title of officer)
10 9. The state board of elections shall prepare a form of petition meet-
11 ing the requirements of this section and shall make said form available
12 to the public. Any petition which is a copy of said form shall be deemed
13 to meet the requirements of this section relating to form.
14 § 13. Filing petition and objections; determination. 1. A petition
15 pursuant to this article shall be filed with the state board of
16 elections.
17 2. Any petition filed with the state board of elections shall be
18 presumptively valid if it is in the proper form and appears to bear the
19 requisite number of signatures authenticated in a manner prescribed by
20 this article.
21 3. Written objections to a petition pursuant to this article shall be
22 filed with the state board of elections within three days after the
23 filing of the petition. When an objection is filed, specifications of
24 the grounds of the objections shall be filed within six days thereafter
25 with such board of elections, and if specifications are not timely
26 filed, the objection shall be null and void. An objector must be quali-
27 fied to sign the petition.
28 4. Within twenty days of the filing of a petition pursuant to this
29 article, the state board of elections shall render a determination as to
30 the sufficiency of the petition. The state board of elections shall give
31 notice of the determination forthwith by mail to the individuals desig-
32 nated pursuant to paragraph (e) of subdivision four of section twelve of
33 this article, and if specified objections have been filed, the objectors
34 shall be also notified.
35 5. All provisions of the election law relating to the construal of the
36 sufficiency of petitions, not inconsistent with this article, shall
37 apply to this section.
38 6. A determination of the state board of elections shall be subject to
39 judicial review, as provided for in article seventy-eight of the civil
40 practice law and rules, except that it must be instituted within thirty
41 days after the filing of determination pursuant to this section. Such a
42 proceeding may only be instituted by a person qualified to sign the
43 petition. A proceeding under this section shall have preference over all
44 other civil actions and proceedings.
45 7. The successful party to the proceeding shall file a certified copy
46 of the decision and order with the state board of elections.
47 § 14. Decision of the state comptroller. 1. Within ten days after the
48 first occurring of either the expiration of thirty days from the filing
49 of the original decision sustaining the legal sufficiency of the peti-
50 tion and no proceeding having been instituted to review same, or the
51 filing of a final order sustaining the petition after such a proceeding
52 to review, the state board of elections shall file a copy of the peti-
53 tion with the office of the state department of audit and control
54 located in Albany for a review and decision by the state comptroller, as
55 provided for by this section.
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1 2. The state comptroller shall examine the proposed operating budget
2 for the territory to be the proposed county, the proposed capital budget
3 for the area to be the proposed county, a description of the services
4 that would be provided by the proposed county and how such services
5 would be delivered and the estimated property tax impact for a five year
6 period on the territory to be the proposed county and the area of the
7 remaining county.
8 3. The state comptroller shall issue a decision on the financial
9 feasibility of the proposed county.
10 4. In order to make a favorable decision of financial feasibility, the
11 state comptroller shall make the following findings:
12 (a) that the overall public interest shall be served by the creation
13 of the proposed county;
14 (b) that the cost of the proposed county shall not be an undue burden
15 upon the proposed county or the remaining county;
16 (c) that the revenue estimates and appropriations, as set forth in
17 such financial impact statement, are adequate to deliver the services
18 proposed; and
19 (d) that in all regards, such financial impact statement provides an
20 accurate, valid and transparent presentation of information to the
21 public.
22 5. Such decision shall be delivered to the state board of elections
23 within sixty days of submission to the state comptroller. Such decision
24 shall be available for public inspection. A copy of such decision shall
25 also be mailed to the petitioners designated pursuant to paragraph (e)
26 of subdivision four of section twelve of this article and all objectors
27 to the petition, pursuant to section thirteen of this article, by regu-
28 lar mail within five days of receipt.
29 6. A determination of the state comptroller shall be subject to judi-
30 cial review, as provided for in article seventy-eight of the civil prac-
31 tice law and rules, except that it must be instituted within thirty days
32 after the filing of determination pursuant to this section. A proceeding
33 under this section shall have preference over all other civil actions
34 and proceedings.
35 7. Where the determination of the state comptroller is not favorable
36 and no proceeding is instituted to review such decision, the decision
37 shall be final and conclusive. The state board of elections shall take
38 no further action on such petition. A new proceeding to create the
39 proposed county shall not be commenced for at least five years.
40 § 15. Referendum. 1. A referendum to determine the question of creat-
41 ing a new county shall be held at the next general election occurring no
42 less than sixty days after the first occurring of either of the follow-
43 ing two events:
44 (a) The expiration of thirty days from a favorable decision of the
45 state comptroller and no proceeding having been instituted to review
46 same; or
47 (b) The filing of a final order which sustains the favorable decision
48 of the state comptroller.
49 2. The procedure for the referendum shall be pursuant to the election
50 law.
51 3. Each resident in the territory proposed to be the new county who is
52 a qualified elector in a general election may vote in the referendum.
53 4. The form of the proposition shall be as follows: "Shall the terri-
54 tory generally described as .............. (describe territory) be
55 established as a new county to be called .................. (name of
56 county)?"
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1 5. If the majority of the votes cast on such referendum be in the
2 affirmative, the referendum shall be adopted, and the new county shall
3 be created.
4 6. If the majority of votes cast at such referendum shall be adverse
5 to the creation of the new county, no county shall be created and no
6 petition for the creation of such county from the same territory may be
7 filed for a period of five years from the date such referendum shall
8 have been defeated.
9 § 16. Effective date; transition period. 1. When a referendum has been
10 approved, pursuant to this article, the new county shall be deemed
11 created and effective upon the adoption of the referendum, certified by
12 the state board of elections, and shall have the authority to perform
13 all acts necessary to effect a transition of authority to the new coun-
14 ty.
15 2. For the purposes of exercising all governmental functions, the new
16 county shall be deemed effective on the first day of January next
17 succeeding the next general election at which county elective officers
18 are elected.
19 3. All county elective officers pursuant to this article shall be
20 elected at the next general election after the referendum is approved.
21 4. As provided by this article, the board of supervisors shall be the
22 legislative body of the new county. Nothing in this article shall
23 preclude the establishment of a legislative body other than a board of
24 supervisors, pursuant to law.
25 5. Nothing in this article shall preclude a new county from selecting
26 a charter or other alternative form of government as permitted by law.
27 6. During the transition period between the effective date of the
28 county and the effective date for the purpose of exercising all govern-
29 mental functions, the supervisors of each of the towns constituting the
30 new county shall be empowered to act as an interim board of supervisors.
31 Said board shall have all the rights, privileges, functions, and powers
32 conferred on counties and municipal corporations and shall take all
33 actions necessary to effect a transition to the new county government,
34 including but not limited to the transfer of real property, personal
35 property, books, records, employees, the authority to enter into agree-
36 ments, including the apportionment of liabilities, to adopt a budget,
37 hire employees, levy taxes, and borrow money. Any action by the interim
38 board of supervisors shall be approved by a unanimous vote.
39 7. Any taxes levied or collected and any other charges levied by the
40 existing county for the transition period on the territory which has
41 become a new county shall be utilized to continue services and functions
42 for which the existing county is still responsible and to fund the tran-
43 sition expenses of the new county, unless the affected counties other-
44 wise agree.
45 § 17. Disposition of property. 1. Except as may be provided in an
46 agreement between the affected counties, as authorized by subdivision
47 two of this section, all county owned real or personal property, and
48 rights in real and personal property, including but not limited to
49 streets, avenues, roads, highways, bridges, buildings, parks, open lands
50 located in the newly created county, shall become the property of said
51 new county.
52 2. At any time during the transition period defined in subdivision six
53 of section sixteen of this article, the governing boards of the affected
54 counties shall have the power to agree on the retention, division, or
55 other disposition, either with or without consideration, of real and
56 personal property and rights in real and personal property within the
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1 affected counties. Any such agreement shall be in writing and shall be
2 approved by the affected counties. Such agreement may provide for the
3 execution of any deeds or instruments affecting retention, division, or
4 other disposition of such property, either with or without consider-
5 ation.
6 § 18. Assumption of debt. 1. Except as may be provided in an agreement
7 between the affected counties, as authorized by subdivision two of this
8 section, any indebtedness, or liabilities, or interest thereon attri-
9 buted to the pre-existing county, shall be a charge upon and shall be
10 paid by each county as the same shall become due and payable, in the
11 same proportion to the whole of any such indebtedness, liability, or
12 interest as each affected county's tax contribution. Nothing herein
13 shall preclude the new county from paying in full its proportion of
14 indebtedness and liabilities. In the case of liabilities relating to
15 employee collective bargaining agreements and retirement obligations,
16 the new county shall not be bound by said agreements and shall only be
17 responsible for liabilities such as accumulated vacation, sick leave,
18 and retirement costs for those employees actually transferred to the new
19 county. The new county shall not have responsibility for the liabilities
20 and indebtedness for any existing special district or special fund where
21 the new county is not part of said special district or benefitted by
22 said special fund. A new county shall not have any other contribution
23 for indebtedness or liabilities except as provided by this section.
24 2. At any time during the transition period defined in subdivision six
25 of section fifteen of this article, the governing boards of the affected
26 counties shall have the power to agree to the proportions, if any, of
27 the various types of indebtedness, contract, or other liabilities, and
28 interest thereon, if any, the affected counties will assume and agree to
29 pay. Such proportions may be based on any equitable basis.
30 3. (a) The term "tax contribution" shall mean each county's contrib-
31 ution to the general fund of the pre-existing county based upon its
32 contribution of sales tax, if any, and real property tax. Such propor-
33 tion shall initially be based upon the findings of the feasibility study
34 prepared pursuant to section eleven of this article. The final
35 proportions shall be adjusted after the new county's first complete year
36 of operation utilizing actual sales tax revenue collections for said
37 year, and the real property tax levy for the last full year of the undi-
38 vided existing county.
39 (b) The term "indebtedness" and "contract or other liabilities" shall
40 not include liabilities under collective bargaining agreements, indebt-
41 edness evidenced by (i) tax anticipation notes, revenue anticipation
42 notes, or budget notes, or (ii) evidenced by serial bonds or capital
43 notes having a maximum maturity of less than three years which were
44 issued or are to be issued to finance an object or purpose other than a
45 capital improvement, or other than the acquisition of equipment for
46 which the period of probable usefulness is provided in paragraph a of
47 section 11.00 of the local finance law.
48 § 19. Miscellaneous provisions. 1. All provisions of this chapter
49 shall govern the operation of counties created pursuant to this article,
50 provided however, that nothing therein shall preclude the election of
51 alternative forms or the charter form of county government as provided
52 by law.
53 2. All special acts and parts of special acts relating to the pre-ex-
54 isting county and in force therein on the date the new county is created
55 and not inconsistent with this article, shall continue in full force and
56 effect in the affected counties, as though the new county had been in
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1 existence at the time of passage of said acts and as though the name of
2 the new county had appeared in said acts and parts of acts, except that
3 any charter law adopted by the state legislature shall not be applicable
4 to the new county.
5 3. Employees transferred when a county is created pursuant to this
6 article shall be transferred without further examination or qualifica-
7 tion and shall retain their respective civil service classification and
8 status. Any employee who at the time of such transfer has a temporary or
9 provisional appointment shall be transferred subject to the same right
10 of removal examination, or termination as though such transfer had not
11 been made.
12 4. The creation of a new county shall not affect the boundaries of any
13 congressional district, senate district, or assembly district.
14 5. Nothing herein shall be deemed to limit the authority of the legis-
15 lature to create counties or other local governments pursuant to the
16 state constitution.
17 6. During the transition period provided for in this article, all
18 local laws, ordinances, rules, or regulations of the pre-existing undi-
19 vided county shall remain in full force and effect. Said local laws,
20 ordinances, rules, and regulations may be further extended by the inter-
21 im board of supervisors for a period not to exceed one year after the
22 end of said transition period.
23 7. During the transition period, the existing county shall continue to
24 render to and perform all those functions and services which it rendered
25 and performed upon the date of the filing of the petition with the state
26 board of elections, unless otherwise agreed to by the affected counties.
27 § 3. Severability. If any clause, sentence, paragraph, section, or
28 part of this act shall be adjudged by a court of competent jurisdiction
29 to be invalid, such judgment shall not affect, impair, or invalidate the
30 remainder thereof, but shall be confined in its operation to the clause,
31 paragraph, section, or part thereof, directly involved in the controver-
32 sy in which such judgment shall have been rendered.
33 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
