Senate Bill S9363

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   9363
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               March 5, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. PALUMBO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Local Government
 
 AN ACT in relation to increasing the term of office from  two  years  to
   four  years  for the Trustees of the Freeholders and Commonalty of the
   town of Southampton and providing for the staggering of such terms  of
   office

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1.  The electors of the town of Southampton are hereby author-
 ized and empowered to elect by ballot from their number at the  biennial
 town election to be held in such town in 2026 and biennially thereafter,
 in  the same manner as other town officers are elected, 5 freeholders as
 trustees, who shall continue to be known as the Trustees  of  the  Free-
 holders  and  Commonalty  of  the Town of Southampton.   They shall hold
 office for a term of 4 years, provided that at the biennial election  to
 be held in such town in 2026, 3 trustees shall hold office for a term of
 4  years and 2 trustees shall hold office for a term of 2 years.  At the
 biennial election to be held in such town  in  2026,  the  3  candidates
 receiving  the  largest number of votes shall be entitled to hold office
 for a term of 4 years. The remaining 2 successful candidates shall  hold
 office  for  a  term of 2 years.  Thereafter, at all subsequent biennial
 town elections, all trustees shall hold office for a term  of  4  years.
 They  shall  within 10 days after their election and qualification, meet
 and choose from their number, by majority vote, a chairman and  a  clerk
 of  such board. Such trustees, or a majority of them, are hereby author-
 ized and empowered to manage, lease, convey or otherwise dispose of  all
 or  any part of all such common lands, waters, and lands under water, or
 rights or other interests therein, subject, as to lands under water,  to
 the  public  right of navigation and to the riparian rights of adjoining
 upland owners, as the trustees have acquired and now hold by  virtue  of
 any  colonial  patent  or  charter;  and for this purpose said board may
 execute all such conveyances, leases, permits, agreements or other writ-
 ings, necessary or proper in carrying into effect the provisions of this
 act; subject, however, to and in accordance with such  rules  and  regu-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD14652-02-6
 S. 9363                             2
 
 lations, if any, concerning the management and disposition of such prop-
 erty  and  rights, as the electors of such town may adopt or impose at a
 biennial town election;  and  the  electors  of  such  town  are  hereby
 empowered  to  adopt  from  time to time such rules and regulations as a
 proposition at any biennial town election.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.