STATE OF NEW YORK
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1877
2021-2022 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 16, 2021
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Introduced by Sen. SKOUFIS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Local Government
AN ACT to amend the town law, in relation to requiring the appointment
of assessors
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Paragraphs (b) and (f) of subdivision 1 of section 20 of
2 the town law, paragraph (b) as amended by chapter 688 of the laws of
3 2002 and paragraph (f) as amended by chapter 472 of the laws of 1984,
4 are amended to read as follows:
5 (b) Except as otherwise provided by law, every town of the second
6 class shall have a supervisor, two justices of the peace, two town coun-
7 cilmen, a town clerk, a town superintendent of highways, three asses-
8 sors, a collector, and, if there be no town police department, as many
9 constables as the town board may determine necessary. In any such town
10 in which a town police department has been established pursuant to law,
11 the town board may appoint not more than four civil officers who shall
12 possess all the powers and duties of constables in civil actions and
13 proceedings only, except that the town board of the town of Southold,
14 county of Suffolk, may appoint four additional constables, who shall
15 possess all the powers and duties of constables in civil and criminal
16 actions and proceedings, solely for the benefit of Fishers Island
17 located in such town; provided, however, that nothing in this paragraph
18 shall be deemed to authorize such constables to carry, repair or dispose
19 of a firearm unless the appropriate license therefore has been issued
20 pursuant to section 400.00 of the penal law; and shall be paid no salary
21 by the town board but shall be entitled to collect the statutory fees
22 allowed by law in such civil actions and proceedings. Every town of the
23 second class may have in addition such other employees as the town board
24 may determine necessary for the proper conduct of the affairs of the
25 town. The supervisor, justices of the peace, town councilmen, town
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06041-01-1
S. 1877 2
1 clerk, town superintendent of highways[, assessors] and collector in
2 every such town shall be elected. All other town officers and employees
3 in such a town shall be appointed by the town board, except as otherwise
4 provided by law. Provided, however, that in a town having less than
5 three hundred inhabitants according to the latest federal census and
6 having a taxable property valuation of less than one hundred thousand
7 dollars according to the latest assessment roll, there shall be elected
8 one justice of the peace for a term of four years [and one assessor for
9 a term of two years,] but no town councilman. Successors to such offi-
10 cers shall be elected for like terms at the biennial town election prior
11 to the expiration of their terms of office. The clerk of the court of a
12 town shall be employed and discharged from employment only upon the
13 advice and consent of the town justice or justices.
14 (f) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (b) of this subdivi-
15 sion, every town of the second class [which has not exercised the option
16 to retain elective assessors in the manner provided by former section
17 fifteen hundred fifty-six of the real property tax law] shall have one
18 assessor to be appointed in the manner and for the term prescribed by
19 section three hundred ten of the real property tax law.
20 § 2. An elected assessor who cannot be reelected due to section one of
21 this act may complete his or her term as an elected assessor.
22 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.