S 9363: Increases the term of office from two years to four years for the Trustees of the Freeholders and Commonalty of the town of Southampton, county of Suffolk, and providing for the staggering of such terms of office.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 9363  IN SENATE 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: 1 Section 1. The electors of the town of Southampton are hereby author- 2 ized and empowered to elect by ballot from their number at the biennial 3 town election to be held in such town in 2026 and biennially thereafter, 4 in the same manner as other town officers are elected, 5 freeholders as 5 trustees, who shall continue to be known as the Trustees of the Free- 6 holders and Commonalty of the Town of Southampton. They shall hold 7 office for a term of 4 years, provided that at the biennial election to 8 be held in such town in 2026, 3 trustees shall hold office for a term of 9 4 years and 2 trustees shall hold office for a term of 2 years. At the 10 biennial election to be held in such town in 2026, the 3 candidates 11 receiving the largest number of votes shall be entitled to hold office 12 for a term of 4 years. The remaining 2 successful candidates shall hold 13 office for a term of 2 years. Thereafter, at all subsequent biennial 14 town elections, all trustees shall hold office for a term of 4 years. 15 They shall within 10 days after their election and qualification, meet 16 and choose from their number, by majority vote, a chairman and a clerk 17 of such board. Such trustees, or a majority of them, are hereby author- 18 ized and empowered to manage, lease, convey or otherwise dispose of all 19 or any part of all such common lands, waters, and lands under water, or 20 rights or other interests therein, subject, as to lands under water, to 21 the public right of navigation and to the riparian rights of adjoining 22 upland owners, as the trustees have acquired and now hold by virtue of 23 any colonial patent or charter; and for this purpose said board may 24 execute all such conveyances, leases, permits, agreements or other writ- 25 ings, necessary or proper in carrying into effect the provisions of this 26 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 1 lations, if any, concerning the management and disposition of such prop- 2 erty and rights, as the electors of such town may adopt or impose at a 3 biennial town election; and the electors of such town are hereby 4 empowered to adopt from time to time such rules and regulations as a 5 proposition at any biennial town election. 6 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.