Bill Text: NY S07257 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Makes town assessors an appointed position statewide and ends elections for town assessors.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-14 - REFERRED TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT [S07257 Detail]
Download: New_York-2019-S07257-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 7257 IN SENATE January 14, 2020 ___________ 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 26 clerk, town superintendent of highways[, assessors] and collector in 27 every such town shall be elected. All other town officers and employees 28 in such a town shall be appointed by the town board, except as otherwise EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD14213-02-0S. 7257 2 1 provided by law. Provided, however, that in a town having less than 2 three hundred inhabitants according to the latest federal census and 3 having a taxable property valuation of less than one hundred thousand 4 dollars according to the latest assessment roll, there shall be elected 5 one justice of the peace for a term of four years [and one assessor for6a term of two years,] but no town councilman. Successors to such offi- 7 cers shall be elected for like terms at the biennial town election prior 8 to the expiration of their terms of office. The clerk of the court of a 9 town shall be employed and discharged from employment only upon the 10 advice and consent of the town justice or justices. 11 (f) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (b) of this subdivi- 12 sion, every town of the second class [which has not exercised the option13to retain elective assessors in the manner provided by former section14fifteen hundred fifty-six of the real property tax law] shall have one 15 assessor to be appointed in the manner and for the term prescribed by 16 section three hundred ten of the real property tax law. 17 § 2. An elected assessor who cannot be reelected due to section one of 18 this act may complete his or her term as an elected assessor. 19 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.