Bill Text: NY S06473 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Suspends certain provisions relating to petitions for incorporation of a village until July 1, 2021; directs the department of state to conduct a study on the existing laws and regulations regarding the incorporation, merger, and dissolution of municipalities for the purpose of making recommendations of amendments to such laws.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-08 - REFERRED TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT [S06473 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-S06473-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          6473

                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                      June 12, 2019
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by Sen. GAUGHRAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules

        AN ACT to amend  the  village  law,  in  relation  to  incorporation  of
          villages; relating to directing a municipal re-organization study; and
          providing for the repeal of such provisions upon the expiration there-
          of

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Section 2-208 of the village law is amended by adding a new
     2  subdivision 4 to read as follows:
     3    4. The provisions contained in this section shall be  suspended  until
     4  July 1, 2021.
     5    §  2.  Municipal  re-organization study. 1. The department of state is
     6  hereby authorized and directed to conduct a study on the  existing  laws
     7  and  regulations regarding the incorporation, merger, and dissolution of
     8  municipalities for the purpose of making recommendations  of  amendments
     9  to  said laws or regulations in order to better serve the needs of resi-
    10  dents. For the purpose of this study, municipality shall mean towns  and
    11  villages.
    12    2.  The study shall focus on the causes and consequences of the incor-
    13  poration, merger, and dissolution of municipalities. (a) When  examining
    14  causes, the department shall consider, but not be limited to (i) examin-
    15  ing  how  often the process to dissolve, merge, or incorporate a munici-
    16  pality is initiated and either succeeds or fails, (ii)  the  fiscal  and
    17  economic  conditions  present in municipalities where a process to merge
    18  or dissolve was initiated, and the fiscal and economic conditions of the
    19  areas of existing municipalities where the process to  incorporate  part
    20  of  them  into  a  new  municipality was initiated, (iii) the social and
    21  demographic conditions of the populations of  municipalities  where  the
    22  process to merge, dissolve, or incorporate a new municipality was initi-
    23  ated,  including  how  any  difference  between populations affected the

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD13267-04-9
        S. 6473                             2

     1  initiation of the process to incorporate, merge, or dissolve  a  munici-
     2  pality.
     3    (b)  When  examining  the  consequences, the department of state shall
     4  consider, but not be limited to (i) examining the  effects  to  property
     5  taxes  and municipal revenue from successful incorporations, mergers, or
     6  dissolutions of municipalities, including effects on  local  governments
     7  collocated with the affected municipalities, including school districts,
     8  library  districts,  sewer  districts,  and  any  other  special  taxing
     9  districts, (ii) the effect on the delivery of  public  services  to  the
    10  residents  of the municipalities affected by incorporations, mergers, or
    11  dissolutions of municipalities, and (iii) the effects  on  the  economic
    12  conditions  of  the municipalities affected by an incorporation, merger,
    13  or dissolution of a municipality.
    14    3. To the maximum extent feasible, the department of  state  shall  be
    15  entitled  to  request and receive and shall utilize and be provided with
    16  such facilities, resources and data of any department, division,  board,
    17  bureau,  commission  or agency of the state as it may reasonably request
    18  to properly carry out its responsibilities pursuant to this act.
    19    4. The department of state shall consult with the office of the  state
    20  comptroller,  associations  representing  towns  and villages, and local
    21  elected officials, when considering and developing  the  recommendations
    22  of  amendments  to  existing laws and regulations governing the incorpo-
    23  ration, merger, and dissolution of municipalities.
    24    5. The department of state shall within one year of the effective date
    25  of this act submit a report of the findings, conclusions and recommenda-
    26  tion of amendments from the study to the governor, the  speaker  of  the
    27  assembly,  the  temporary  president  of  the  senate, the chairs of the
    28  senate finance committee and the assembly ways and means committee,  and
    29  the chairs of the senate and assembly local government committees.
    30    §  3.  This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that
    31  section one of this act shall apply to any petitions  for  incorporation
    32  submitted  pursuant  to  section  2-202 of the village law and currently
    33  pending without final disposition on  or  after  January  1,  2019;  and
    34  provided,  further, that this act shall expire and be deemed repealed on
    35  and after July 1, 2021.