[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Inlet 9-9-2003
by L.L. No. 5-2003. Amendments noted where applicable.]
This chapter is enacted pursuant to Municipal Home Rule Law § 10,
Subdivision 1(ii)a(1) and the New York State Constitution, Art. 9 § 2(c)(1),
both of which vest the Town Council with the power to adopt and amend local
laws concerning the mode of selection of its officers. The Town Council has
determined that under the current method of biennially electing two of its
four officers — whereby voters are required to ordinarily
vote for any two candidates and both positions are filled by the candidates
who receive the two highest vote totals of all candidates running — a
significant number of voters fail to vote for a second candidate out of concerns
that a vote cast for any such candidate will detract from the voter's
top selection. The purpose and intent of this chapter is to diminish the above-noted
concerns and to encourage better voter participation in elections for Town
Council officers.
A.
Town Council positions shall be designated as Council
Position "A," Council Position "B," Council Position "C" and Council Position
"D." Such designations shall be determined as follows: the two Council positions
which, on the effective date of this chapter, are up for reelection at the
first biennial Town election following the effective date of this chapter
shall be designated, respectively, as Council Position "A" and Council Position
"B," with the position of the Council member then having relatively more seniority
on the Council being designated as Council Position "A," while the position
of the Council member then having relatively less seniority on the Council
being designated as Council Position "B." The two Council positions which,
on the effective date of this chapter, are up for reelection at the second
biennial Town election following the effective date of this chapter shall
be designated, respectively, as Council Position "C" and Council Position
"D," with the position of the Council member then having relatively more seniority
on the Council being designated as Position "C," while the position of the
Council member then having relatively less seniority on the Council being
designated as Position "D."
B.
At the first biennial Town election following the effective
date of this chapter, electors shall be entitled to cast one vote for Council
Position "A" and one vote for Council Position "B." At the second biennial
Town election following the effective date of this chapter, electors shall
be entitled to cast one vote for Council Position "C" and one vote for Council
Position "D." The petition of any candidate for any Council position shall
designate the specific Council position for which he or she seeks to be elected.
C.
In the event that, for whatever reason, more than two
Council position races are held during the same biennial Town election, appropriate
designations of Council positions, consistent with this chapter, shall be
followed and electors shall be entitled to cast one vote per Council position
race.
This chapter shall be submitted for approval to the electors of the
Town of Inlet at the next general election to be held on November 4, 2003,
in the Town of Inlet.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: This chapter was approved by the electors voting thereon
at the general election held November 4, 2003, in accordance with the applicable
provisions of law.
