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4.15 4.15 SUPPORT\Veto Legislation Regarding Local Elections to Even Numbered Years—To Governor—7-10-2023 RESOLUTION URGING NEW YORK STATE GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL TO VETO LEGISLATION A.04282B/2.3505B TO MOVE CERTAIN LOCAL ELECTIONS TO EVEN-NUMBERED YEARS RESOLUTION NO.: ,2023 INTRODUCED BY: WHO MOVED ITS ADOPTION SECONDED BY: WHEREAS, the Queensbury Town Board believes that increasing participation in the election process and reducing costs of government operations is good for our Republic, and WHEREAS, Assembly Member Amy Paul and State Senator James Skoufis reintroduced legislation A.04282B/2.3505B ("legislation") that would move local elections to even-numbered years during the 2023 legislative session, and WHEREAS, versions of this legislation were introduced in previous years and failed to reach the floor for a vote due to lack of support, and WHEREAS, after the 2022 session concluded, the bill sponsor indicated that hearings would be held on the proposal through the Election Committee process; however, no hearings were held, and WHEREAS, the legislation passed in the middle of the night on the last days of the legislative session which is counter to the idea of an open and transparent government, and WHEREAS, the Queensbury Town Board has several concerns with this bill, and WHEREAS, this legislation usurps the Home Rule powers reserved by local governments and protected by the New York State Constitution, raising questions of legality and constitutional authority, and WHEREAS, local municipalities have had the ability to change their elections to even- numbered years for decades and have chosen not to do so, and WHEREAS, the Queensbury Town Board believes that establishing the schedule of local elections is the right of the local government and has been for more than 100 years, and WHEREAS, the Assembly Bill Sponsor indicated that she had not received any messages of support for this proposal from any of the 57 Counties and 933 Towns across New York State impacted by this legislation, and WHEREAS, this legislation excludes more than half of all New Yorkers who vote in cities and villages from the changes to Election Law, creating an inequity among New York voters, and WHEREAS, this legislation unfairly excludes the elections to offices in New York City and all other cities and villages in New York State as well as certain offices within all counties and towns, and WHEREAS, the proposed legislation circumvented the legislative committee process during this session, limiting public input and understanding of the impacts, and WHEREAS, there has been no financial or operational analysis of the impacts on local Boards of Elections, and WHEREAS, there are concerns that the current election and ballot counting technology would not be able to adequately meet the demands of the significantly increased ballot size, and WHEREAS, this will create confusion amongst voters in towns and counties across New York State, and WHEREAS, separating the elections affords voters more time and focus to better understand important local issues and provides candidates the appropriate platforms to explain their stance on issues without having to compete against national and state level campaigns, and WHEREAS, moving local elections to even-numbered years would increase the cost of campaigns for local office, reducing the number of candidates willing to invest funds into their own campaign, because the cost of media will increase to compete with national and state level campaign advertisements, and WHEREAS,there are significant legal and constitutional questions regarding the legality of this measure that have not been adequately addressed, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Queensbury Town Board hereby urges Governor Kathy Hochul to oppose legislation A.04282B/2.3505B and utilize her veto authority to reject this proposal,and BE IT FURTHER, RESOLVED, that the Town Board further authorizes and directs the Town Clerk to send a certified copy of this Resolution to Governor Kathy Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, Senate Minority Leader Robert Ortt, Assembly Minority Leader William Barclary, Assembly Bill Sponsor Amy Paulin, Senate Bill Sponsor James Skoufis, Senator Daniel Stec, Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner and Assemblyman Matthew Simpson and the Town Supervisor and/or Town Clerk to take such other and further actions as may be necessary to effectuate the terms of this Resolution. Duly adopted this 10t'day of July, 2023,by the following vote: AYES NOES ABSENT: