New York · statute · N.Y. Town Law · 400 active provisions
CHAPTER 634 AN ACT relating to towns, constituting chapter sixty-two of the consolidated laws Became a law April 8, 1932, with the approval of the Governor. Passed, three-fifths being present The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows: CHAPTER 62 OF THE CONSOLIDATED LAW…
ARTICLE 1 SHORT TITLE; DEFINITIONS Section 1. Short title. 2. Definition of town.
Section 1. Short title. This chapter shall be known as the "town law."
§ 2. Definition of town. A town is a municipal corporation comprising the inhabitants within its boundaries, and formed for the purpose of exercising such powers and discharging such duties of local government and administration of public affairs as have been, or, may be conferred or imposed upon it by law.
ARTICLE 2 CLASSIFICATION OF TOWNS Section 10. Classification of towns. 11. Mandatory change of classification. 12. Optional change of classification.
§ 10. Classification of towns. Towns are divided into classes according to population, as shown by the latest federal or state census or enumeration, as follows: First class. Towns containing a population of ten thousand or more, excepting towns in Broome and Suffolk counties, and excepting also the town of Potsdam in…
§ 11. Mandatory change of classification. 1. Upon the completion of each decennial federal census, the secretary of state shall obtain from the proper federal authorities an authenticated statement of the population of each town according to such federal census. When the population of any town as shown by such federal…
§ 12. Optional change of classification. 1. Any town of the second class, including towns in Suffolk and Broome counties and the town of Ulster in Ulster county, having a population of five thousand or more as shown by the latest federal census or in which the assessed valuation of the taxable real property as shown by…
ARTICLE 3 TOWN OFFICERS, POWERS, DUTIES AND COMPENSATION Section 20. Town officers. 22-b. Chairman of assessors; designation; duties and compensation. 22-c. Election and term of assessors in the town of Southampton, county of Suffolk. 23. Eligibility of town officers. 23-a. Residence requirement for comptroller of the…
§ 20. Town officers. 1. (a) Every town of the first class shall have a supervisor, four town council members, unless the number of council members shall have been increased to six or decreased to two as provided by this chapter, a town clerk, two town justices, a town superintendent of highways, one assessor, a receive…
§ 22-b. Chairman of assessors; designation; duties and compensation. The town board of any town having more than one assessor may establish the office of chairman of town assessors and at its first meeting in each year designate one of such assessors to be chairman until the first day of January next succeeding such de…
§ 22-c. Election and term of assessors in the town of Southampton, county of Suffolk. Notwithstanding the provisions of any general, special or local law, the town board of the town of Southampton, county of Suffolk, may by resolution subject to a permissive referendum, direct that at the first biennial town election h…
§ 23. Eligibility of town officers. 1. Every elective officer of the town at the time of his election and throughout his term of office, shall be an elector of the town. Every other officer of the town at the time of his appointment and throughout his term of office shall be an elector of the town except that: (a) in t…
* § 23-a. Residence requirement for comptroller of the town of Cortlandt. Notwithstanding any provisions of this chapter or any other special, general or local law to the contrary, the town board of the town of Cortlandt in Westchester county, may, by resolution, provide that the comptroller of the town of Cortlandt ne…
§ 24. Terms of office. All elective officers other than town council members, town justices, receivers of taxes and assessors shall hold their respective offices for two years. The terms of office of the town council members first elected after this chapter shall take effect and of the town council members first electe…
§ 24-a. Terms of office of elective officers. 1. Notwithstanding the provisions of section twenty-four of this chapter or any other general law, and at least one hundred fifty days prior to any biennial town election, the town board of any town may adopt a resolution to provide that the term of office of each and any e…
§ 24-b. Election of council members and town justices in the town of Pawling. Notwithstanding the provisions of section twenty-four of this article or any other general or special law, the town board of the town of Pawling in Dutchess county, may by a resolution adopted at least ninety days prior to the general electio…
§ 25. Oaths of office and undertaking. Before he or she enters on the duties of the office, and within thirty days after the commencement of the term of office for which he or she is chosen, every town officer shall take and subscribe before an officer authorized by law to administer oaths in his or her county, the con…
§ 25-a. Fingerprints of persons before appointment as town police officers, or as constables possessing powers in criminal matters. No person shall be appointed or reappointed a member of the police department, or a special police officer, or a constable not limited to powers and duties in civil actions and proceedings…
§ 26. Resignation of town officers. Any town officer may resign to the town clerk in the manner provided by section thirty-one of the public officers law.
§ 27. Compensation of town officers and employees. 1. The town board of each town shall fix, from time to time, the salaries of all officers and employees of said town, whether elected or appointed, and determine when the same shall be payable. The town board shall not fix the salaries of the members of the town board,…
§ 28. Power to administer oaths. Any town officer may administer any necessary oath in any matter or proceeding lawfully before him, or in connection with any paper to be filed with him as such officer.
§ 29. Powers and duties of supervisor. Except where powers or duties specified herein are devolved upon the town comptroller pursuant to section thirty-four of this chapter, the supervisor of each town. 1. Shall act as treasurer thereof and shall demand, collect, receive and have the care and custody of moneys belongin…
§ 30. Powers and duties of town clerk. The town clerk of each town: 1. Shall have the custody of all the records, books and papers of the town. He shall attend all meetings of the town board, act as clerk thereof, and keep a complete and accurate record of the proceedings of each meeting, and of all propositions adopte…
§ 31. Powers and duties of town justices; requirements; restriction. 1. The town justice shall have such jurisdiction in criminal and civil matters and in special proceedings, as is now or may hereafter be conferred by law. Each such justice shall: (a) Keep or cause to be kept the records and dockets required by the un…